


Personal

by StarvingLunatic



Category: InuYasha - A Feudal Fairy Tale
Genre: Drama, F/M, Intrigue, Mild Sexual Content, Novella, Post-Series, Violence, Wordcount: 30.000-50.000, Wordcount: Over 30.000
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2006-01-05
Updated: 2006-01-29
Packaged: 2018-02-09 09:03:00
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 12
Words: 37,199
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1977000
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/StarvingLunatic/pseuds/StarvingLunatic
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Political intrigue occurs when Sesshomaru and Kikyo get married.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Okay, this fic is kinda post-series, I guess. I haven’t seen the end, so I can only guess what happens, not that it matters. Here’s a warning for you guys, I don’t explain how Sessh and Kikyo have gotten together and they’re just married, call it a day.
> 
> I don’t own these characters. Well, I do own Hideo.

Personal

Chapter 1

Sesshomaru woke up as the sun began to make its presence known and announcing the arrival of a new day. Oh, he did not want the day to come. The day was going to be much too annoying. He just did not desire to deal with one item that he had on his schedule.

Sesshomaru knew he should be thankful just to be alive another day because he had so much to live for now. His provinces were peaceful and he had a beautiful, intelligent wife lying next to him and she was flesh and blood once again. She had him to thank for that. There was so much to be thankful for and he was willing to be grateful, if only he did not have a meeting today. He had to meet with quite possibly the most irksome of all creatures, a weasel demon.

Sesshomaru considered weasel demons to be just about the lowest of all creatures, down there with humans and wolf demons. Weasel demons bothered him because they tried to pretend they were civilized and honorable beings when they were anything but those two things. They were truly cowardly, devious barbarians and he hated to have just one in his castle with his family. Weasel demons would just pollute his perfect home with their presence.

The demon lord glanced down at his still sleeping wife, Kikyo. He enjoyed gazing at his unbelievably, indescribably wonderful wife, especially in her sleep. Her ebony hair was done in a braid to keep it from fanning out and knotting up, but even pushed to the side, it looked like an ocean of ink. Her porcelain features were so peaceful and flawless. Gently, he ran a knuckle down her cheek.

He could not put her into words, which for him helped explain why he was married to her. Yes, he knew it was unbelievable, but they were married. She had forced him to go through with the whole human ceremony of marriage. He had quietly protested the whole event by making sure to look as displeased as possible with the whole affair until he caught sight of her in her wedding garb, which some humans in his lands had provided her. Seeing her in a kimono for the first and, apparently, last time had made the whole human ceremony worth it to him.

“You looked like you had come down from heaven,” he whispered, remembering her in her kimono.

People wondered why the stoic daimyo had taken a human wife. Well, those who were aware that he was married, anyway. First off, most people did not think that he cared enough to even think about acquiring a mate. He seemed to believe he would live forever and always, which meant he would control his lands always and never require an heir. After that fact, most people thought that Sesshomaru hated humans. So, why had he taken one for a wife?

Now, the dog demon was not fond of humans, but then again, he was not fond of most people and it did not matter what they were. From what he had learned, most people, humans and demons alike, were semi-intelligent at best. They had little to no sense of responsibility. They acted on emotion and desire rather than thinking things out. In short, people were fools and he failed to see the point in bothering with fools, unless it was necessary.

Kikyo certainly was not a fool and anybody with eyes could see that. She was just breathtaking to watch, just the way that she moved. How she carried herself reminded Sesshomaru of himself. She never showed any fear and never acted like she was not in control of any situation. She was always composed and never panicked. Every now and then, she did slip up, but he could forgive her for that, especially since such slips were few and far in between.

Kikyo had been the one to teach Sesshomaru forgiveness, so she was always the first to gain his newly discovered virtue. He glanced down at the dozing woman and though she was probably the most powerful human he would ever meet. One touch of her hand and will could reduce the mightiest of demons to a smothering pile of charred remains, which he thought was rather sexy. That same hand could touch him in a manner that was so tender and passionate that if he started to think about it, then it was going to be an eventful morning before he even allowed her to consider getting out of bed. He could not let things come to that because he had to get out of bed.

Sesshomaru groaned in a very low tone as he tried to ease away from his wife, but as soon as he moved, he felt her hand flex against his side. He cast his golden eyes down on her and saw that Kikyo was awake. Well, she was slightly awake as her chocolate eyes were halfway open. He knew she was going to get up with him, even though she should sleep a little longer in his opinion. He wished that she would get it in her mind that she required much more sleep than he did and she did not need to forsake her health just to keep him company.

“Don’t get up yet,” Kikyo requested in a quiet voice, trying to pull him closer.

“I have to prepare for my meeting this afternoon,” Sesshomaru replied. He would love for the chance to be able to just lie next to her, but he doubted it would ever happen. There was always something to do.

“That is this afternoon, not now,” she pointed out while pushing herself against her husband. The Lord exhaled slowly.

“Don’t tempt me. You know I won’t decline,” he warned her.

A ghost of a smile floated across her face. “I know.”

“We don’t have the time for me to not decline,” he informed her.

“No?”

“No,” he assured her.

Kikyo was not about to argue, especially since she could hear heavy footsteps rapidly approaching them. They both knew who was coming toward them. The door to the bedroom opened loudly and they were greeted by a loud giggle before the wannabe ambush was launched. Kikyo turned her eyes from Sesshomaru to ahead of her just in time to see nothing but white. She braced herself for the weight she thought would impact her, but the weight never made it.

“Rin,” Sesshomaru sighed, shaking his head slightly. He held the girl in the air with one hand, so that she could not belly flop on him and Kikyo while they were still in the bed.

“Come on, it’s time to get up. There’s plenty to do!” Rin declared with a cheerful smile, wiggling in his hold.

Sesshomaru only shook his head again. As hard as it was to believe, especially for him, but Rin had become more energetic since Kikyo came into their lives. He was secretly pleased that Rin was overjoyed with having Kikyo around. Apparently, the girl required some human contact. Although, Rin and Kikyo were probably the least human humans he had ever met, and he meant that as a compliment.

Kikyo enjoyed having Rin around as much as the child delighted in having Kikyo around. The priestess adored children, which Sesshomaru was aware of. The dog demon noted how his beloved treated Rin, much like a daughter, so he officially adopted the girl, leaving no questions open as to who the girl was or why she was around. She was their daughter and that was why she was there. Rin easily fell into the habit of calling both adults “mommy” and “daddy.”

“Um… Daddy, are you gonna put me down?” Rin asked because he just held her in the air. It was not like he could do it all day and he had already ruined her master plan.

“If you’ll leave, so we can prepare to get up,” Sesshomaru answered her. 

“Okay, but you have to be fast about it,” Rin informed both of them, wagging her finger at them. They both nodded.

Rin grinned while Sesshomaru placed her down on the floor. The child exited the room and waited for her parents to emerge, bouncing on her heels. The couple left the room dressed in their usual garments. Kikyo continued to dress in her priestess clothing, even though she was a noble now. She was most comfortable in her priestess attire. Besides, she still packed enough spiritual energy to bring even the most vicious of demons to his knees. Her choice in clothing affected Rin.

The little girl now refused to wear a kimono or a yukata. She wore hakama now and only hakama. She tried not to wear red or white because she wanted some individuality and not to look too much like her parents. Despite how much Rin admired the adults and tried to dress similar to them, she still rejected wearing footwear, much to Kikyo’s dismay. The girl did enough running around for footwear to save her many cuts and scrapes. Rin did not care about being injured, though, which Kikyo knew was the mindset of most children. 

-8-8-8-8-

Sesshomaru had lunch with his family. He wanted to do as many things as possible to avoid thinking about the meeting that he had coming up. He stared at his two ladies and he considered how one day soon, they would have to expand their family. He knew Rin would enjoy being a big sister. He knew Kikyo would make an excellent mother.

Most might assume that Sesshomaru was against having a half human child, considering his younger brother, but he did not even think about things like that. He thought of any child between him and Kikyo as their child, simple as that. Their child would be his heir and he would be proud. They would raise the child to be able to lead and no one would dare challenge their child, half human or not, unless that person was a total fool.

The silver-haired male actually believed that one of his father’s stupidest moves of all time was to die when Inuyasha was born. That woman was not strong enough to raise a born social outcast properly to make the boy rise above everyone’s hatred. Sesshomaru would never let his offspring turn out like Inuyasha had. He would not allow his child to be treated as something less than perfect and he would make sure that his child knew that it was above everyone else. His child would essentially be just like him, perfection.

“Hey, look at this,” Rin said, balancing an egg on her nose.

Sesshomaru groaned and gave her the “soft” version of his glare. Chuckling sheepishly, Rin dropped the egg and covered her mouth, so he could not see her laughing. Of course, he could see the mirth dancing in her eyes. It did not help that he could see amusement in Kikyo’s eyes as well.

“Sorry,” Rin apologized.

“You know better,” he pointed out. Having a child with her around would be a challenge since Rin seemed to pride herself on being feral, unless told otherwise, and he knew their child would look up to Rin.

“Sorry,” she apologized again.

“Finish your lunch, please,” Kikyo gently ordered, knowing Sesshomaru was already tense. Rin’s antics would not help. 

-8-8-8-8-

After lunch and all of his musings, Sesshomaru prepared for his day to be ruined. Oh, how he loathed dealing with weasel demons. They were always scheming on something, always trying to put something over on someone. He was meeting with the ambassador to discuss building a road between their two territories to promote trade between them and strengthen the relationship (which did not exist) between the two lords.

The dog demon was not thinking of his intense dislike of the weasels, but of all of the people that lived in his province. The trade would help the people prosper. His lands were not in desperate want of much since it was much of the land was good for farming and they were located near the sea while the weasels controlled a territory that was land-locked. The weasels had very fine fabrics, which Sesshomaru was not opposed to opening his land to and they also produced some of the finest poultry, which he expected from the egg-sucking, bird-eaters.

Sesshomaru was even more wary of the weasels because he had been informed the sneaks had been making inquiries about his mate. He did not like anybody being curious about his woman. She was none of their concern, but the emissary would see his beloved Kikyo. He was gradually making her known to the people that he dealt with, just so they understood she was his, under his protection, and demanded the same respect and loyalty as he did.

Sesshomaru greeted the weasel agent upon his arrival. The weasel was like Sesshomaru in the way that he appeared rather human. He had a thin long nose and beady jet black eyes. His hair was down his back and auburn, something similar to color of weasel fur. Some rouge brightened his pale cheeks. He was short and introduced himself as Hideo, bowing to the Lord. Sesshomaru felt like he should receive an award for not sighing and managed to get on with the day. _Now, if I don’t kill this creature before night is upon is, perhaps I can consider it a victory for all_. Unfortunately, there were more pleasantries to pretend to care about. 

-8-8-8-8-

Sesshomaru sat down with Hideo in a plain room after they made it through all the necessary politeness. There was a long table between them for papers and other items they would surely require during the meeting. Servants offered Hideo plenty of things, which he declined on. He was probably the only weasel demon that did not take advantage of hospitality, Sesshomaru thought. When the room was clear of everyone except for Sesshomaru and Hideo, the weasel demon began to make his proposal on the deal.

Minutes into the meeting, the door behind Sesshomaru slid open and Kikyo silently entered. She sat to the right of her husband, just a bit behind him. Hideo was a bit perplexed by what he believed to be an intrusion by an upstart human female. He then noted the Lord’s reaction, or lack there of. Sesshomaru remained completely focused on the task at hand without even glancing at Kikyo.

“Will you continue?” Sesshomaru asked Hideo, who seemed stuck on the fact that a woman had the nerve to just be in the room with them while they handled business matters.

Hideo nodded when he realized that the Lord had asked him a question. He continued on, despite how odd the meeting became with Kikyo’s presence. It was nerve-wracking enough when he had Sesshomaru staring at him with those frozen, killer golden eyes, but now the woman was in the room and he was not sure why she was there. He was confused about what he should do as she sat there formally, watching the floor. Should he address her also, he wondered, even though the Lord seemed to be ignoring her altogether?

Once Hideo was done with his part, the meeting became stranger still to him because the dog demon did not comment at all. He was aware the Lord was a man of few words, but this was not normal. Sesshomaru considered everything he had just heard before he opened his mouth. What the Lord said then further bemused his guest.

“What’s your opinion?” Sesshomaru asked and Hideo thought that the daimyo addressed him. He was about to open his mouth, but the third person in the room spoke up first.

“Doesn’t it all depend on if his Lord honors the treaties? He could always use the road as a swift means to lead an army against you,” Kikyo pointed out in a calm, but clear tone.

Sesshomaru nodded and fought down a smile. She was learning. He was trying to get her to see that no one in his world meant what they said. He was aware that in the peasant world, there were people that were actually kind and thoughtful, but not in his world. He wanted her to learn to assume that everybody that said something to her had some underlying plot. He told her that she should think that whenever someone extended their hand to her in friendship, they had a snake in their sleeve to bite her.

Hideo appeared rather offended by Kikyo’s words. Probably because there was some truth to them, the couple figured. The ambassador felt that he would not take such abuse from a human wench. What right did she have to make such noise anyway?

“Now see here—” Hideo started in a heated tone, but he was smoothly cut off.

“You’ll have to excuse her. She speaks her thoughts rather plainly,” Sesshomaru replied. It was one of the things that he loved about her. She said what was on her mind without fear and with great confidence, which he thought those were very sexy qualities.

Kikyo continued to speak rather straightforwardly throughout the whole meeting. Hideo was clearly not enjoying her opinion and it showed on his face, looking like he had swallowed something sour. Sesshomaru enjoyed the conference immensely because his wife brought some spark to it. She always had that effect on gatherings.

The dog demon often had Kikyo attend meetings, but he liked to keep people guessing as to what she was doing there. He insisted she arrive at her leisure, so she always showed up late because she liked to make sure Rin was secure before she left the girl. Kikyo always came in and sat right behind Sesshomaru without saying anything. Sometimes, she did not speak through out the whole conference. She would just observe how things were handled. Other times, he requested her opinion, but he liked it best when she just offered her thoughts out of the blue. It always unsettled everyone in the room, even men who had seen her at meetings before. 

-8-8-8-8-

Hideo sat in the doorway of his guestroom, penning a note by candlelight. The letter read: _My Lord, the rumors are quite true. Lord Sesshomaru is mated to a human priestess. I do not know what sort of powers she has, but if the rumors are even truer and she is as powerful as they claim, she could prove to be a great weapon for that arrogant dog to use against any demons that he dislikes. She could even be used as a propaganda weapon to rally humans to his side should he chose to start a war. I have not gathered whether he manipulated her into being with him, but it might have something to do with him pretending to value her opinion. Unless, he honestly does hold stock in the wench’s words, which would make her a weakness of his to possibly exploit. Either way, she could prove to be a useful asset to you against the damnable son of a bitch_. 

-8-8-8-8-

Next time: Sesshomaru continues to be annoyed with bad news.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Me no own these characters… wait, no I just don’t own Sesshomaru, Kikyo, and Rin. Damn near everybody else in this story is crappy creation of my own. Damn it, I am depressed.

Chapter 2

Sesshomaru thought life could go back to normal once he rid himself of Hideo. They came to a rather lopsided agreement on the road building and trading treaties that they were working on. Sesshomaru found that having Kikyo present in a conference threw people off so much they hardly noticed that the meeting stopped going their way almost all the time. Sesshomaru also had negotiating skills that were practically unrivaled because he knew how to unnerve people by just sitting there and staring at them with no expression in his golden eyes. It was amazing, how easily some delegates were shaken by unwavering silence, especially weasel demons.

The dog demon thought he could relax, as much as he typically did anyway. It would be great to sleep in for a few extra minutes and just feel his beloved pressed against him. He could also check in with Rin’s tutors and find out how things were going with her, even though he knew Kikyo had that well in hand. Kikyo kept up with the girl’s studies, but he liked to add in when he could because this was what a good father should do. And then a messenger had to come and ruin his whole plan.

“Do the gods just hate me?” Sesshomaru wondered. Of course that could not be the case, as he was perfection. How could the gods hate perfection? _Maybe this is a test_. If that was the case, he was either going to fail when he ripped the heavens apart with his bare hands or walk away to maintain his sanity.

Lord Itachi, a daimyo from the east, contacted Sesshomaru. He knew it was not going to be to his liking before he even read the letter, but when he opened it, things got worse. The weasel demon lord informed him of the worst possible news, which was that he would like to spend some time in the west as a gesture of goodwill and to become familiar with the culture of the western people. Sesshomaru really did not wish to see that beady-eyed lord, but it would be discourteous to deny the request, especially only on the grounds that he had stepped on things with more personality than that blasted weasel. So, he was going to have to put up with that thin lord for who only knew how long. He suspected it was cosmic payback for something that he did.

“So, hate it is,” Sesshomaru decided with a glance toward the sky. He would have to prepare his family for this incoming bundle of irk. 

-8-8-8-8-

Sesshomaru did not show any expression as the decadent entourage of the weasel clan approached his ancestral home. There was a train of horses and palanquins headed toward his castle and he just watched from a balcony while struggling to not transform and go slaughter the whole band before they made it into the stronghold.

Kikyo stepped behind him, leaning into his back. “Be calm.”

“I’m always calm,” he replied. 

“Be calmer.”

He snorted and shook his head. He really did not wish to deal with the weasels, but he would have to play the good host, not because it was something his duties as lord required, but because his wife would expect him to behave civilly toward their guests, no matter how filthy their guests were. He would leave playing the polite and grateful host to her, though. He could be gracious, but nothing behind that.

“I don’t understand why you so utterly despise the weasel demons. They seem like any other demons and nobles,” she commented.

He scoffed. “I beg your pardon, my love, but you only believe that because you haven’t had to share air with more than one of them for over an hour. Consider yourself lucky in that, but that luck has run out.”

Kikyo had not really dealt with more than a few of them personally, first as the protector of the Shikon jewel and then as a traveler through their lands once or twice. She failed to see why they should be hated more than some other demon, but then she reminded herself that he was Sesshomaru and sometimes his reasoning came from complex facts built upon centuries of information. She decided against antagonizing him about the matter.

“Shall we go down and greet our guests?” Kikyo proposed.

“They may claim to be guests and be treated as such, but they are not guests,” he replied.

Kikyo smiled softly. “All right. Shall we bring our daughter?”

Sesshomaru simply looked at her and she nodded, understanding why that idea probably was not the best. Considering how hyper Rin was, they were not certain if such a thing was a good idea, especially since she could be even more when newcomers showed up. Rin could be very well behaved, but usually when sweets were involved to bribe her and they had time to prepare her. She really required something to focus on that was interesting and not moving for her to remain still and greeting guests was not that something. So, the child was left to her own devices, which generally translated into her running wild around the castle and chasing something or someone.

“Is there anything that I can do to make this less painful for you?” Kikyo asked as they made their way down.

“No.” The short response actually translated into, “Your presence alone makes this less painful, so just be there.” She nodded.

Kikyo stood behind Sesshomaru as he prepared to falsely greet the weasel lord. The man entered with servants, who Sesshomaru suspected were actually soldiers, at his side. The servants were dressed plainly, but their movements were a dead giveaway that they were bodyguards. It did not help he could practically smell weapons and armor on them. _Perhaps they will be the reason I slay the lot of them and make this nightmare end_.

At the weasel lord’s side was a woman, another weasel demon, they guessed was his wife. She was decked out in fine silks with elaborate designs. Pearls and golden ornaments decorated her auburn hair. Her face was tight and, for a brief moment when she glanced at Kikyo, she looked disgusted. She managed to school her features before anyone said anything.

Sesshomaru tried his best not to look offended by having such people in his home, but he bet his ancestors were just rolling over in their graves over the company he kept at the moment. He fooled everyone else about his disgust, except for Kikyo anyway. Discreetly, Kikyo brushed her fingers across the Lord’s bicep and her touch relaxed him just enough to get through the rest of this.

Before anyone had a chance to say anything, they all turned to a doorway on the right. They could hear footsteps heavily approaching the room. A small calico-colored kitten charged into the room and was followed by a giggling child, namely Rin. Everyone watched as the cat ran by the weasel daimyo and Rin dived to catch the tiny creature. She knocked into the weasel lord’s legs, causing him to fall to the floor. Rin failed to notice her mistake because the feline was still not in her custody and that was the only thing on her mind.

“Should I?” Kikyo asked quietly. Sesshomaru replied by shaking his head. It was not like Rin would listen until she had her precious kitten safely in her grip.

The little girl ended up knocking over five people before a weasel servant apprehended her. He lifted her up by the front of her shirt while the other nobles began to stand up. Rin whined as the cat seemed to escape her, but Kikyo stepped in the feline’s path and picked the small animal up. She then turned her attention to the man holding her adopted daughter. She was ready to demand he release her child, but she knew Sesshomaru would take charge of the situation.

“Filthy human brat!” the weasel lord declared and he raised his hand as if he was going to strike Rin.

The child knew intellectually she should finch because she could see in his onyx-colored eyes that he desperately wanted to do her harm. She was not scared, though. She just could not believe that someone would even think to hit her in front her parents. After all, if someone were to touch her in a harmful manner with her parents standing right there, it would be like committing suicide.

“Lord Itachi, I would advise against that,” Sesshomaru commented in his usual cool tone, but there was a deadly glint in his amber eyes.

“This human—” the other lord tried to argue, but Sesshomaru interjected before he could finish. 

“Is my daughter,” the dog demon informed his guests. He was astonished because the weasels had not been before him for more than a minute and he wanted nothing more than to kill them all.

It was one thing to grab Rin, she did need to be stopped, but to disrespect them all by insulting her and then to consider striking her was well overboard as to what was proper behavior. Rin should have been turned over to him, not because she was his daughter, but because she was a child and obviously a member of his household. No polite person would discipline another’s household without an excellent reason, but that seemed beyond weasels. Of course, they had gone even further because Rin was his child.

“Your daughter?” all of the guests echoed.

“Put her down,” Sesshomaru calmly commanded.

The servant released Rin, who hit the floor with the grace of a cat. She charged over to her mother and grinned up at the priestess while holding her hands out, silently requesting her pet. Kikyo smiled slightly while handing the child her little kitten. Rin grinned even wider as she took the feline and left the adults alone. Kikyo turned her attention back to their guests and she could already see why her husband disliked these demons.

Kikyo eyed the weasel lord, Itachi. He had beady, ebony eyes, like black diamonds. They were a dominate trait among his kind. His face was narrow and pale along with thin lips and nose. He was a few inches shorter than Sesshomaru. His hair was auburn and fell to his shoulders, but was pulled into a tight dragon tail at the very nape of his neck. His clothing was nearly flamboyant, clearly worn to show his importance.

Kikyo could sense wickedness in the lord. She could practically see evil radiating off of the man. She did not think too much of because she had yet to meet a weasel demon that lacked darkness of the soul. In fact, she had yet to sense a good-natured or well-intended demon that came to meet with her husband and, believe it or not, such demons did exist. She could understand why mostly dark demons came see Sesshomaru, though. No one that rose to power was clean. Everyone in power was drenched in blood and most people had ambitious natures.

Lord Itachi met eyes with Kikyo and, for a millisecond, they stared at each other like their eyes contained all of the information for existence. Kikyo broke the gaze by looking away. She immediately knew she did not like that man. She desired to know his true reasons for visiting because it was obvious already that his stated reasons were lies.

Itachi watched Kikyo for a moment, making sure not to do it for too long or Sesshomaru would notice. He did not want the dog demon to note that he was interested in the woman. He thought she had gall to wear her priestess clothing in a house of demons. He was shocked Sesshomaru would allow such a thing. Was he humoring the priestess to further use her or was he frightened of her power and appeasing her by letting her wear whatever she wished? Was she some weakness to be exploited? Itachi believed he would find out.

After some formalities, Sesshomaru had his very unwanted guests taken to the apartments they would be staying in for their visit. He wondered how much damage would be done to the castle if he burned the apartments, after the weasels were done using them of course. Perhaps they could salt the apartments if an all out cleansing by fire was too extreme, he considered. He would run the ides by some people and see if it was plausible. 

-8-8-8-8-

“Rin, what are you looking for?” Kikyo asked when she discovered the child in the garden with her head in a hole between some rocks.

“Ran,” the girl answered.

“Your kitten?”

“Uh-huh. We’re playing hide-n-seek again. She’s really good at it,” Rin reported with a laugh.

Kikyo smiled. _She’s so precious_. “Don’t you think that it’s a bit careless to play hide-n-seek with such a small creature?”

“It’s fun. Have you seen her?” Rin asked as she stood up to face her mother. Her eyes shined as always and a smile played on her features.

“Not since you ran off with her. Shall I assist you in searching?” Kikyo offered.

“Thanks, Mommy!” Rin grinned, throwing her hands up.

The girl was more than happy to have Kikyo for a mother. She could recall her birth mother only slightly and she truly missed her real mother and family a great deal. But, even at the tender age of ten, Rin understood perfectly well that she had to be thankful for everything that she got in life because she could have died with her family and then she had died by those wolves. She remembered dying, remembered the pain and sorrow of death. She now wanted to live life to the fullest while appreciating everything that she had and hopefully make her adoptive parents as happy as they made her.

Kikyo held her hand out and Rin merrily took the offered hand. They strolled inside to go search for Rin’s beloved pet. The child looked around, as if checking for something, and then turned her eyes up to the priestess.

“Mommy,” Rin said in a low voice.

“Yes?” Kikyo replied.

“Do you like Daddy’s guests?”

“I am not fond of them so far,” the adult female answered honestly.

“They feel weird,” Rin commented.

Kikyo nodded slightly in agreement. Rin was rather good at feeling people out. She was incredibly sensitive to not only people, but places and situations too. Her ability helped her avoid dangerous people while she was running around, but she seemed to ignore the feeling at times when it came to certain situations. Kikyo guessed that was all about being a carefree ten-year-old child, even though she was sure Rin was more aware of her own mortality than most other people, not just children.

“They’re not gonna going to stay long, right?” Rin asked.

“I hope not,” Kikyo replied.

“Me, too. Are we going to have to see them?”

“I doubt it. It is a big castle, located in a very vast area. Perhaps they will take an interest in something outside.”

“I hope so,” the girl muttered and Kikyo smiled a bit as they continued to search for the bobtailed kitten. 

-8-8-8-8-

Itachi sat outside of one of his rooms and thought on what he had learned just that day. The priestess was an unsettling woman. He had met her gaze a couple more times after that first one before introductions and she did not waver at all. It was like she could stare into his mind and shred his psyche if she so chose.

The lord could already tell he did not like Kikyo and he was willing to bet the feeling was mutual. He considered the priestess might be so powerful that Sesshomaru was actually her puppet and not the other way around. It would explain why she always hung around behind him. It was like she had her hand in his back, pulling his strings.

But, what would a priestess want with the dog demon? His lands? His army? Perhaps she would use him to lore in other demons and then destroy them. But, that did not make any sense to him and he was a man that could stretch things.

He considered Kikyo might possibly be a weapon of some kind for Sesshomaru. He could use her to eliminate his nearby enemies and he would not be connected to the deaths for the simple fact that no one would even know about the deaths if things were handled properly. A human with enough spiritual energy could reduce a demon to a pile of ashes that would drift away with a breeze and if there were no witnesses, then no one would know what happened. A priestess willing to do the bidding of a demon was quite an interesting concept.

“And I want that,” Itachi muttered to himself, making a fist. “I would use her power to bring this dog to his knees.”

The onyx-eyed lord was taken from his musings by something brushing up against him. He directed his attention to the offending thing to discover that it was a kitten. He frowned when he realized that it was the same cat that little human brat chased after earlier when she embarrassed him and got away unpunished.

“Filthy beast,” he snarled in fury, reaching out for the flea-bitten pest. 

-8-8-8-8-

“Ran-chan!” Rin called for her pet. She was still with her mother and they had not come across any signs of the cat.

“Perhaps she returned to your bedroom,” Kikyo commented because she knew Rin’s little feline did not wander aimlessly for more than a couple of hours and they searched much longer than that.

Rin then heard a small meow. She released her mother’s hand and ran off to follow to sound. She rounded the corner and stopped because she did not see her pet, but she could hear the mewing clearly. She scanned the area for where the tiny kitten might be hiding. When she heard it again, she realized the noise was coming from beneath her, so she hopped off of the elevated floor and looked underneath the foundation. There were small puddles of blood that led her to her poor cat.

“Mommy!” Rin shouted, causing Kikyo to charge over as quickly as she could. She thought the child was in serious danger, but when she saw the girl, she knew it was emotional distress that made Rin cry out.

“Rin, what’s wrong?” Kikyo asked when she saw most of the girl’s body was under their living space.

“It’s Ran,” Rin replied as she removed her pet from where she was resting and then she stood up for her mother to see what happened to her pet. The kitten was bleeding from cut wounds all over its body. The creature was missing both an ear and a foot. “She’s dead!” Rin bawled.

“Who would butcher Ran?” Kikyo asked the air in disbelief. Of course, she could guess. 

-8-8-8-8-

Next time: Sesshomaru gets even more annoyed as his unwanted guests show that they lack manners.


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I don’t own Sesshomaru, Kikyo, or Rin. Just borrowing them.

Chapter 3

Sesshomaru sat in one of the smaller rooms in the castle, frowning. He was perturbed and that was putting it very mildly. Some fool had gone mad as far as he was concerned because someone had hurt Rin. She was not harmed physically, but she was under emotional stress. Someone had cut up Rin’s favorite pet, her cat, Ran, as if it was a piece of meat to be butchered. He had revived the little kitten, but that was not the point. Rin was still shaken by the dastardly deed.

The child was curled up against Kikyo’s hip. Kikyo sat next to him and he rubbed Rin’s back. Whenever he stopped, Rin popped up and looked between her parents, silently begging for comfort. Ran was tucked in Rin’s arm, sleeping peacefully against her chest.

“Who would do such a thing?” Kikyo wondered aloud.

“You know,” he replied and she nodded.

The silver-haired demon smelled a weasel on the cat when he returned the annoying creature back to life. No, he was not fond of the little hairball, but Rin loved the animal, so it was either bring it back to life or see anguish in Rin’s eyes. He glanced down at her and caressed the whole of her back. It was an easy decision to make.

Sesshomaru could not narrow down his suspects on who slaughtered Ran because of the cat’s blood and Rin’s tears mingling with the weasel stench. He hated to think some of the weasels were acting foolish so soon, but it was possible. It was also possible the little kitten wore the scent from when it ran into the middle of all of those weasels earlier in the day. All he knew was that he would look into it and the person that had slaughtered Rin’s kitten had better make plans for the afterlife. No one made Rin cry and just got away with it, not even the little imp Jakken.

“Is she asleep?” Sesshomaru asked as Rin’s body shook and she hiccupped.

Kikyo leaned down and brushed the child’s hair out of her face. There were tear tracks down her cheeks. “She is. She cried herself to sleep.”

Rin had wept, not just when she found her feline deceased, but when her adoptive father brought the creature back to the land of the living. She cried because while her pet was alive, she was still missing an ear and her front right paw. She would always bear those scars. The crime against her little feline also made her recollect back when she was small and helpless, left to the mercy of those around her and getting none of it.

“I’ll go,” Sesshomaru said, ready to investigate, but the moment his hand left Rin, her eyes shot open. Kikyo reached down and caressed Rin’s cheek.

“It’s all right, little one,” Kikyo cooed.

Rin sniffled. “Ran’s just a little kitten, Mommy. Why would anybody hurt her? She never hurt anyone. She’s just a little kitten.” Her voice was raw. She had spent the whole afternoon saying this for the entire afternoon. Her parents were just happy she was no longer bawling those words anymore.

“The world can be cruel,” Sesshomaru sighed.

Rin nodded. The world baffled her from what she saw of it. There were so many contradictions and matters that made absolutely no sense to her. She did not see why the strong subjugated the weak, why people seemed so intent on killing each other, why the first person to show her kindness was actually someone that was rather apathetic toward all forms of life. Out of everything she had seen and every person that she had met, only one person made complete sense to her and that was Kikyo.

Why did Kikyo make sense to Rin? Well, the woman was strong, but she never made it a point to abuse that power in any way. She helped people in any way she could because she could, never looking for something in return. Rin thought people should help people if it was possible because at some point in time, everyone needed some help. She felt those that gave out assistance got assistance and that was part of the reason behind why she had tried to help Lord Sesshomaru when she came across him a few years ago. It seemed like she was right in that regard.

“I hate that people hurt stuff,” Rin muttered.

Sesshomaru glanced at Kikyo, needing her to reply to that if a reply was to be made. She smiled a little. “There are people out there who are kind and loving and gentle. You know that. You are one of them,” she assured Rin, leaning down and kissing her cheek.

“I wish there were more. I wish people were like you or like Daddy at least,” the child commented.

“Like me?” Sesshomaru could not help wondering why she thought people should be more like him.

“You helped and Ran. You don’t just hurt people smaller than you,” Rin explained.

Sesshomaru did not argue, not wanting his daughter’s opinion of him to drop. Rin moved a bit to put her head in Kikyo’s lap. She stroked the injured animal’s back. Kikyo caressed Rin’s head to help keep her calm and to assure her that everything was going to be all right. Rin wondered if her adoptive mother knew even half of the amount of appreciation she held for the woman’s loving touch. 

-8-8-8-8-

It took Rin a few days to get over her pet’s wounds and she could get back to her usual things. Sesshomaru and Kikyo suspected it was the specific day that caused Rin to cheer up. It was the day that she did archery with Kikyo. Being the daughter of very intelligent, educated, and capable people meant that Rin had quite a schedule, which included archery lessons; not to mention, history lessons, calligraphy, math, and other training. Her parents knew how long the girl would sit still for her lessons before it was torture and her mind wandered, so her schedule was set up to keep her in place and paying attention for as long as possible with many of her lessons. For things like archery, though, Rin was content to stay with Kikyo all day. 

Sometimes, Kikyo practiced with Rin, but much of the time she instructed the girl. Rin was a natural, or so it seemed anyway because she learned so quickly. The child was a very good shot already. Sesshomaru often joked he should give her a horse and put her on the battlefield where she obviously belonged. The first time that he said it, Kikyo had glared at him to make him aware she did not find the remark funny, but that did not stop him from saying it again and again. She was not teaching Rin for warfare, but for self-defense and also as a projectile for her spiritual energy.

Yes, Rin actually had spiritual energy and both of her parents wanted to develop that. They wanted her to be able to protect herself first and foremost. Kikyo also wanted her to be able to protect others and, of course, Sesshomaru could care less than nothing about “others.” As long as Rin could take care of herself when the time came, Sesshomaru was good with that. Both he and Kikyo did want her to be equipped with as many means as possible for fending off those that might harm her.

“Mommy,” Rin said as she armed her long bow once more. She focused on her target, even though she started a conversation.

“Yes?” Kikyo answered, standing just behind Rin. They were in one of the larger, private gardens of the castle. They needed the space because each lesson it seemed necessary to put the targets a little further away from Rin.

“Shoot with me,” the child requested with a smile.

“All right. Might you fetch my bow?”

Rin grinned and fired her last arrow before she went to go get her mother’s longbow. Kikyo took that time to study her daughter’s target. It was a large board several yards away with a small red circle painted in the middle of it. The child came extremely close to the center many times, but it looked like she was pulling her shots a bit to the right. Some of the arrows did not look as deep as they should be either, so her drawing needed more work.

“Here you go, Mommy,” Rin said as she handed Kikyo her bow and quiver of arrows.

“Thank you, Rin-chan,” Kikyo replied and caressed the child’s head, which caused the girl to smile. She then took the bow and quiver from Rin.

“Hey, Mommy, want to have a contest?” Rin proposed.

“For what?”

“I get as much cake as I want if I win.”

“And if I win?” Kikyo asked.

Rin thought about it, tapping her finger to her chin. What would be a good prize for her mother that she could deliver on? It only took her a few seconds to come up with something. “I won’t wake you early in the morning and I won’t dive on you to get outta bed,” the girl offered.

“How could I pass up such a deal?” the priestess replied with a smile.

Rin laughed, even though she was not totally sure she could keep that promise. The two ladies started their contest, but only managed to get off a few shots before they both halted. They looked to their left; Rin turned her whole head while Kikyo only cut her eyes in the direction. Two male demons that worked for Itachi were watching them with their black, weasel eyes. What did they want, both mother and daughter wondered.

“You’re pretty good with the bow,” one bodyguard commented with a smile. He had ebony-colored hair unlike most weasels while his partner had the usual auburn hair. They were both fairly tall men, but the black-haired one was a bit taller.

“Think they’re good with other elongated objects?” the auburn-haired warrior crudely remarked.

“Ones with tips and shafts?” the first one snickered and his cohort laughed.

Kikyo frowned in disgust. She moved to block their view of Rin because she did not like the way the men were eyeing them. She definitely did not like what they said. She hated to think what might be on their minds, especially in regards to her daughter.

“What can I do for you, ‘gentlemen’?” Kikyo inquired as politely as possible to two men that were practically shaming her with their gazes.

The two demons laughed a bit, but she failed to see what was so funny. The duo then had the nerve to approach Kikyo and Rin. Kikyo tensed, but she stood her ground as the pair stood mere inches from her and her adopted child. She watched them intensely with cold eyes, pretty much daring them to try something and she would make them regret it for all of one second before they found out what they were to be reincarnated as. She would not allow anyone, guest or otherwise, touch Rin in any unfavorable manner. They would just have to deal with the fallout of her killing two weasel bodyguards.

“You’re actually a good looking human,” the auburn-haired warrior commented, as if she would take that as a compliment.

“Gentlemen, and I use the term as a mere formality now, it would do you well to answer my question as to what I can do for you or be on your way. So, what can I do for you?” Kikyo inquired once again, voice slightly more demanding than before.

“What’s wrong with us just being here for the fresh air? We’re being nice and everything, even telling you how pretty you are. You should be the same,” the shorter fellow replied with a crooked smirk.

Kikyo scowled now. She disliked that he had piece of a point. They were not really doing anything, aside from making her uncomfortable with their eyes and words. Of course, their words were far from appropriate to say to their host lord’s wife and child.

“We didn’t mean to offend you,” he added, like this apology made their words disappear.

The ebony-haired gent glanced down at Rin and smiled at her. Rin ducked behind Kikyo even more, clutching her hakama with tight hands. Kikyo scowled so deeply now, she feared the lines would mar her face forever. The duo was testing her patience with the wrong thing. She doubted her husband would care much if she happened to rid their home of two obvious morons before they did something extremely stupid.

“You know, I’m glad Lord Sesshomaru said this was his daughter. I would’ve thought that she was just a cute boy if he hadn’t said anything,” the black-haired one commented with a smirk.

“I don’t think she likes you,” the other teased his partner, noticing Rin’s expression. The child looked utterly disturbed by being anywhere near the man, which her mother took into account.

“Sirs, once again and this will be the last time, I must now insist that you state your business here or be on your way,” the Lady commanded.

The duo only smiled, like they did not take Kikyo seriously. She doubted Sesshomaru would lament should she turn the weasels into something less than ash because of the way the men distressed their daughter. She considered the fact that their lord would never know. There were no witnesses around, except for Rin and she knew that Rin would never tell.

“All right, you two, I understand that you’re obviously not the smartest of your breed. I urge you to leave now,” Kikyo warned the pair. They were still her husband’s guests, so they deserved a warning before she rid the planet of their annoying presence.

“Or else what?” the auburn-haired warrior asked with a chuckle.

“Yeah,” the other foolishly concurred, giving her a daring look with an arched eyebrow.

The auburn-haired demon then had the nerve to reach out in order to touch Kikyo. She caught his wrist before he got to her cheek. He gasped because she had surprised him with such speedy movement. He frowned when she did not release him, so he tried to pull his hand back.

“Do you like this hand?” she inquired.

He seemed to finally realize he poked a sleeping lion. A bead of sweat raced down his thin cheek and he actually stopped breathing for a few seconds. She strongly considered burning his hand right off of his wrist, but she spared him that fate. Glancing at his partner to see if he would try anything, she was satisfied that he was just as nervous as the demon she held.

“You can’t,” her captive’s voice trembled.

“I could,” the priestess assured him. But, she did not. She gently let his hand go. “Leave,” she ordered them in a stern tone.

The pair seemed to think on her words for a few seconds before finally taking her seriously. They trotted off while Rin stepped out from behind Kikyo. The woman glanced down at Rin to make sure that she was all right. She put her hand on the girl’s head to assure her that everything was going to be all right.

“I don’t like them,” Rin whispered with a scowl of her own.

Kikyo watched the retreating weasels. She did not like them either. 

-8-8-8-8- 

Sesshomaru ran into Kikyo in the hallway by chance a little after she was finished with Rin. They would have passed each other and gone on their way, but he had to stop. He grabbed her rather hard and yanked her to him. She gasped softly in surprise as she collided with his chest.

“You smell like them,” he commented briskly.

“Like who?” she asked.

“The weasels. Why is that?” he demanded to know.

“They were standing near me,” she answered.

“How near?”

“Very.”

The dog demon frowned and growled. “Why?”

“They never said,” she replied.

“This is just unacceptable. Go bathe and burn those clothes,” he ordered.

“Sesshomaru,” she protested. She thought his command was a little extreme. She was aware that he had a good nose, even for a demon, but was it necessary for her to really burn her clothes? “I could wash them,” she proposed.

“No, burn them and make sure you soak in the bath for at least two hours,” he demanded.

Kikyo decided not to argue because Sesshomaru seemed very irritated by a matter she did not very much understand. She did not want to bother him more than he was by debating the issue, especially with the weasel demons still in the castle. He seemed to be getting more irked by the minute.

The dog demon was more than ready to tear his “guests” apart. It was bad enough he had to provide them with food, shelter, and security while wondering what plot they had against him. Of course, he had spies working to figure that out, but it was taking too long. Then, there was also the fact that they took everything he offered and requested more, but now they had just gone too far. He was already certain one of those bastards had been the murderer of Rin’s pet cat and now they had come within three feet of his wife. That was just plain and downright disrespectful.

Demons, having super senses compared to humans, meant that they had certain etiquette to follow that would be beyond a human’s understanding. Now, a demon should stand at least three feet away from a claimed member of the opposite sex. Why? To avoid getting their smell on, say, a lord’s wife. It was a very offensive thing to do.

As far as Sesshomaru was concerned with his nose, scents lingered for days. He would not be able to take his beloved smelling like a weasel. He also would not stand for those fools disrespecting his wife in such a way even if she had not known that they had done such a thing. He would inform her and then educate them on their place while in his home. 

-8-8-8-8-

Next time: Sesshomaru “educates” his “guests.”


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> No, I don’t own Sesshomaru, Kikyo, or Rin. The other guys, yeah, I thought of them, but they t’aint something to brag about.

Chapter 4

Kikyo was ambushed in the bedroom almost as soon as she stepped in. The assailant managed to sneak up on her and cover her mouth with a very familiar hand, so she could not scream, not that she would ever consider doing such a thing anyway. She did get out a surprised gasp before the warm hand silenced her completely. The other hand wrapped around her waist and trapped her against her assailant’s body.

“What happened to your reflexes, priestess? Now, you’re at my mercy. That is such a pity.” The hand moved a couple of fingers to allot her a chance to respond.

“You have left my hands free,” she pointed out.

“Well, then, you’d like to think I’m in danger then, but we both know that isn’t the case. I could always snap your neck before you get your chance to purify me,” he countered, moving his hand to her throat. Softly, his rough fingertips caressed her and she nearly purred.

“Must you be so morose?” she inquired.

“Turn around.”

Kikyo complied with the command and turned to face her attacker. Sesshomaru stood there with his usual neutral expression in place. She tried to read his golden eyes for some sign of how his day went, so she would know if she should try to relax him or if they could just go to bed. When she saw him in the hall earlier he had been beyond bothered, especially when he caught a hint of weasel stench on her. She had burned her clothes as he had ordered just because she did not want to add to his stress, especially when she knew that those so-called guests of theirs would stress him completely before their visit was halfway done.

Sesshomaru stared down at his petite wife with a blank expression. She still smelled like those accursed weasels to him, even though he could tell that she used everything possible to get rid of it or cover it up. He decided against telling her. She put forth a great effort for him, no need for her to know it was all for naught.

He really would have to teach those weasels their place for polluting his wife with their horrid smell, but at the moment, he did not even want to think about them. Right now, his major concern was making Kikyo pleasant to his nose again. _She’s mine. She will always be mine_.

“You are pure beauty,” he commented, staring down at her as the candlelight played with her pale features.

“Oh, my. Someone sounds almost romantic,” she replied.

The dog demon leaned down and captured Kikyo’s mouth in a gentle, but passionate kiss. She returned the kiss and smiled against his lips. _Perhaps, he’s not as irked as he was earlier_ , she thought. His tongue slipped passed her lips and she could not think anymore. All she could do was want – want him.

When Sesshomaru pulled away, he began planting soft along her jaw and his hands made short work of the ties on her clothing. Unable and not wanting to resist, Kikyo melted into his touch as his fingers glided across her heated flesh. It was a good thing she had won the archery contest with Rin because she was going to want to sleep late tomorrow. It would definitely be a long night.

-8-8-8-8-

Kikyo stirred from her sleep in the morning, half expecting to wake up alone. Much to her surprise and delight, Sesshomaru was next to her, twisting a lock of her ebony hair in his clawed fingers. She leaned over and kissed him as morning greeting. He turned to fully look at her.

“How long have you been awake?” she asked, her eyes barely open.

“Not long,” he replied, leaning down for another kiss.

She knew “not long” meant he had been up at least an hour. He had a different concept of time than she did it would seem. She would prefer he saw to his duties rather just lying next to her while she slept because she did not think it was an interesting way to kill time, just staring at her, she meant. He apparently thought otherwise and, deep down, she was actually flattered by that.

“You’re still pure beauty,” he commented in a low tone.

She smiled. “And you’re still being romantic.”

Sesshomaru pulled her to him and pressed their bodies together, earning sighs from both of them. He basked in their sweet mixed scents and the fact that she no longer smelled of those damnable weasels. When he woke up, he had planned tend to some matters, but he happened to glance at her and found that he had to stay put. The serene expression on her face had caught his attention. He enjoyed seeing that look on her sleeping face. He had resisted the urge to nuzzle her because he would have woken her up if he had done such a thing while she was resting.

“Beloved,” the demon said, caressing her bare shoulder.

She rested her head on his chest. “Yes?”

“Don’t let those weasels come within three feet of you again. It is extremely bad manners on their part. I don’t know why they would do something like that, except for the fact that weasel demons are just plain barbarians and they assumed they could get away with such foul behavior because they’re guests in our homes, but this just makes it worse. Don’t let them come that close to you again and if they do come near you, you should hurt them as much as possible as that is your right. It will help them comprehend not to come near you again and possibly save them from me having to kill them,” the Lord informed Kikyo.

“But, they are you guests,” she pointed out.

“They should act the part and mind their manners. They will not disrespect you in our home. And should they cross the line again, there will be serious consequences to their actions.”

Kikyo nodded to show that she understood and she agreed with him. They were being very hospitable to those weasels, so the least that the weasels could do was be polite while they were at the castle. She hoped they left soon, like that day.

“Has Lord Itachi given you a timeframe for when their stay will be over?” she inquired.

“No.”

She frowned because she noted the weasels did not seem very interested in anything around the place. She actually preferred not to know what they did for entertainment. She did not want them to stick around for her to find out either.

“Why are they here?” she asked.

“I’m looking into it. We shall have to bear with them until then or until they finally leave,” he stated.

Sighing, she just pressed herself closer to her husband. He ran a hand through her hair, watching as sunlight shined off of her dark locks. Her fingers busied themselves by tracing the cuts of his abdomen.

Sesshomaru and Kikyo parted ways shortly after freshening up for the day. She went to see Rin while he had a bit of business to take care if. He would be damned if he was going to let anybody, lord, demon, or otherwise come into his home and do whatever. He was not going to let them believe that they could do whatever either.

-8-8-8-8-

The golden-eyed lord caught up with two familiar scents out by the garden his wife and daughter frequented. The garden was private. It was only for his wife and child. They could bring whomever they wanted there and their personal servants could enter with permission, but no one should be just in there at their leisure.

He was angry already that Kikyo had smelled like the weasels, but now to know that those damned weasels were hanging out in places that both his beloved and their child spent a good part of their day in, well, it was too much. It was like they were trying to see how far they could push him in only a matter of days before it was just necessary for him to slaughter them all. He was certain that if their behavior persisted, it would not take long for him to simply slay the lot of them to save himself the annoyance.

The dog demon approached the two young demon males that were just relaxing in the garden, near a small pond, speaking to each other. He stopped a couple of feet away from them. They did not cease conversing with each other, even though they were very aware of his presence. He knew those scents much more than he liked and now they were being rude to him. _They might as well hang signs around their necks requesting I murder them_ , he thought. They were asking for it anyway, as far as he was concerned.

“Good day,” Sesshomaru greeted the bodyguards with all the emotion found in a piece of bent metal.

“Good day, milord,” they both replied. They reclined on some small trees, which they actually uprooted because of their body weight. They did not bother to stand up right before the Lord. They were just begging for trouble in Sesshomaru’s opinion.

“I see you two have found sanctuary in the center garden,” the daimyo commented while fighting the urge to just put his hand through their torsos and calling it a day.

“It’s a nice place,” the ebony-haired young man replied with a smile and a shrug.

The silver-haired demon nodded, all the while thinking about how he would tear the face off of that one. “Yes, my mate and little one are fond of this area. They were out here yesterday for shooting practice.” He motioned to the target, which was typically put away, but he suspected these fools unnerved Kikyo to the point that she left whatever she and Rin could not carry out of the garden and did not think of it again. “Perhaps you took notice of them.”

“You mean your humans, milord?” the auburn-haired weasel asked with a bit of a smirk. It was like he was laughing at Sesshomaru because of the Lord’s family.

Sesshomaru’s face did not even twitch. “You were here with them. I suppose you might like to tell me why?” He sounded like it was a request when it was a command. He did not request things, especially from vermin. He wanted to know what they thought they were doing his wife’s presence, getting their stomach-turning funk all over her.

“Milord?” Their voices were innocent and their eyes were wide. They both pretended to not follow what Sesshomaru meant, unknowingly dancing on his last and very raw nerve.

“Why were you in this garden while my wife and child were here?” Sesshomaru asked plainly.

“Sir, we didn’t mean any harm,” the black-haired youth argued.

Sesshomaru sighed and pinched his nose a bit. If the issue was them harming his two favorite females, the weasels would be dead by now because there would be nothing to discuss. It was about etiquette and if they had any manners or brains at all, they would just apologize and beg for his forgiveness, which they would not have gotten anyway. Instead, they wanted to play like fools when he was not in the mood for games of any kind. He would just punish them and move on with his life before he truly lost his patience.

The dog demon struck with a swiftness that the younger demons could hardly comprehend. All they saw was him put his hand up and a flick of his wrist. The next thing they knew, he held two round objects in his hand. It took them a moment to realize what the items were and then they started screaming while covering their faces with their hands. Blood ran down the left side of the black-haired demon’s face while the crimson liquid oozed down the right side of his partner’s face.

“I don’t know what your lord is planning or if you two were just being very stupid, but let me warn you now to stay away from my mate and our daughter. You don’t have any right approaching either of them. You have no business being in their company. You should not even gaze upon them. You are meaningless servants. Approach her again and she will kill you,” Sesshomaru promised the now wounded bodyguards in a most collected manner. He then walked off. Guards would show those idiotic weasels out of the garden.

-8-8-8-8-

Itachi was engaged in a game of chess against himself. His wife sat quietly in the corner, reading. Lord Sesshomaru interrupted them by inviting himself into the room. Thankfully, he had enough control of himself to not slide the door through the wall, even though he was still quite upset.

“Good day, milord,” Itachi said and Sesshomaru did not respond. The weasel lord laughed nervously, probably because he was uncomfortable with the silent dog in his presence. “Perhaps you would enjoy a game,” he offered Sesshomaru while motioning to the chessboard.

“I don’t play children’s games,” the golden-eyed demon replied, causing the other nobleman to frown.

“Then what brings you by?” Itachi inquired, trying to sound pleasant, but his voice was tense.

“Your men need discipline.”

“Careful, Sesshomaru. You’re out of line,” Itachi warned his host. It was a bit rude for the dog demon to say such a thing, but he was beyond caring at the moment.

“No, your men were out of line, completely out of line. Here is proof of the fact,” Sesshomaru commented and he smoothly flung two spherical objects at the shorter man.

Itachi wondered what Sesshomaru was going on about and then the items landed on his chessboard. He gasped when he saw what they were, a pair of onyx-colored eyes. He pushed away from the eyeballs as they oozed blood and fluid onto his game board. He scowled and turned his furious eyes up at the other aristocrat.

“What’s the meaning of this?” the weasel lord demanded, slapping the hardwood floor with his palm. He hoped it was not what it appeared to be, namely a pair of eyes from his servants.

“Your men lack manners and need to be disciplined. Two of them were very close to Kikyo. Close beyond what good taste dictates. See to it that doesn’t happen again because I won’t be warning anyone else,” Sesshomaru replied.

“You can’t just punish my men,” Itachi objected, climbing to his feet. He could not stand toe-to-toe with the dog demon, but he could not sit idly while Sesshomaru disrespected him. He would look like more of a coward and a fool than his men had already made him appear.

Sesshomaru was not fazed by the other lord’s actions. “I believe I just did. When they come so close to my family, I will do what I see fit your men. So, make sure that this mistake is not repeated,” the platinum-haired male stated before turning around and walking out of the room. Itachi snarled when he was certain that the dog demon could not hear him.

“That damned, arrogant bastard,” Itachi grumbled, glaring at the space his host just occupied. “I can’t believe the gall of that damned mangy mutt. Who the hell is he to discipline my men? And how dare he snatch out their eyes?” he hissed.

Itachi did not care what the men did, even if they came close to Sesshomaru’s human. Tearing out their eyes was not something that Sesshomaru should have done as a punishment, in the weasel lord’s opinion anyway. Sesshomaru had no right to punish his men, no matter what they did. They were guests, after all.

“That stupid dog should be more cordial toward guests,” he fumed with a huff.

“He seemed angry,” the noblewoman commented from the corner.

“That he did. Do you believe he actually ripped the eyes from my own men?” he asked incredulously, turning his attention briefly to the body parts in question before turning to look at his wife.

She made a waving motion with her hand. “He thinks he’s supreme.”

“I’ll show him otherwise. Once I find out why that priestess sides with him and then I’ll entice her over to our side, he’ll be the first that I will command her to destroy,” Itachi declared.

“Do you honestly think the priestess is the key to all of this?” his wife asked.

“There has to be something there. We all know that damned mutt wouldn’t just associate with or marry a human, especially a priestess. He pulled out the eyes of my men for being around her. There has to be something more to it,” he reasoned.

His wife did not comment on that. She wondered why a human priestess would marry a demon, especially a demon like Sesshomaru. It did not make any sense that she could figure on. She considered finding out the reason behind the marriage. The information might prove valuable to her husband and she hated that bastard Sesshomaru as much as anyone else, meaning she would like to see him reduced to a pile of ashes just as much as everyone else.

“My dear, perhaps I could so try to learn the secret as to why the priestess stays,” his wife offered.

“You?” he asked. “You could be putting yourself in danger.”

“I doubt it. The dog wouldn’t dare harm a noblewoman without great cause. I will just talk with this woman, as two wives of powerful lords,” she replied with a smile. “I can get her to reveal the information to me and then we would get to see the fall of the second great dog demon.”

Itachi smirked. “There is nothing great about that damned dog, but this plan might work. Do you magic, my love,” he replied, moving to kiss her cheek. She smiled.

-8-8-8-8-

Next time: Itachi’s wife goes to pry information from Kikyo. What will she achieve?


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I don’t own Sesshomaru, Kikyo, or Rin. It’s a good thing I don’t from what I can tell.

Chapter 5

Sesshomaru sat in a room, eyes trained on the wall, pondering on his guests. He could not figure out why in the world the weasel demons were staying at his residence. Itachi had not attempted to renegotiate the trade agreement or the road-building plan. He had not tried to turn Sesshomaru into a proper ally in case of war, which was always guaranteed to happen. He was not even sneaking around the place searching for secrets of any kind. There was something amiss with the whole visit and the dog demon could not figure out what it was.

“He’s acting as if this is some leisure trip and he is at an expensive in,” Sesshomaru muttered, which made no sense. Yes, it was a way to get free luxury items at no cost to himself, but it seemed like a lot of trouble for such a thing.

The platinum-haired male tried to find out if the men that Itachi had brought with him had been making inquiries regarding anything. They merely seemed to be enjoying the riches of his palace and taking his hospitality to the breaking point almost, getting drunk on all of his wines, gorging themselves on his meats, and some of them were in trying to take liberties with his female servants, which he would not allow. In short, they were acting as he expected, like utter fools.

“But, still, this is a long trip to make for free gifts. Yes, but weasel demons rarely make sense. They also rarely do anything without an ulterior motive. So, yes, they’re fools, but they’re fools with a purpose.” Unfortunately, so far, they had only shown themselves to be fools.

The serious problem he had with the weasels was the fact that a few days ago, two of the men had the nerve to come within three feet if his wife and daughter. They had not repeated the actions, possibly because he had punished the two offenders by tearing out an eye apiece from them. He could not figure out why they would do something so stupid and ill mannered.

“This could be something as simple as them being empty-headed louts, but again, that is not like them. They were testing the waters, maybe, seeing how far they could push her, or me, or both of us. ” He would prefer to be sure rather than assume since they had gone so close to his family. He now had people keeping a close watch on all of his so-called guests as well as guards watching Rin when she was alone. He just wanted an excuse to make them leave now. 

-8-8-8-8-

Kikyo sat with Rin in one of them many sitting rooms of the castle. She was leaning against the wall with her legs folded while Rin was sitting on her, lounging comfortably with her back supported by her mother’s propped up leg. Rin also had her kitten with her because she refused to let Ran out of her sight. She was scared someone might kill the feline again.

Kikyo disliked Rin feeling like her pet was unsafe in her own home. This was ridiculous. She was tempted to go to the weasel demons and demand to know which one of them had murdered Ran, if only to give Rin peace of mind again. Unfortunately, it was improper to accuse guests of such behavior, especially a sweeping allegation like that. She needed proof first.

Ran was curled up in Rin’s stomach while Rin held a book. Rin was reading to Kikyo, which was one of their favorite pastimes. After Rin read, they tended to tell their own tales, exchanging stories of their own adventures before they came to settle in the castle.

Kikyo smiled softly as she listened to Rin read aloud almost perfectly. The girl focused mostly on the words in front of her, but she was vaguely aware of Kikyo lovingly petting her head as she read on. Rin was certain that one of the best things about having a mother was the safety that she felt when she was with Kikyo. It was like being with Sesshomaru, except with more open affection.

“Hey, Mommy, can we read again tomorrow?” Rin requested out of the blue.

“Tomorrow is your history lessons,” Kikyo reminded the girl. 

“After the history lessons and other stuff, can we please read again?”

“I don’t know if there’ll be time. You know that Sesshomaru doesn’t like you straying from your schedule.”

Rin pouted. Ever since they had stopped wandering around and settled into the castle, Rin noticed Sesshomaru was almost methodic about work and schedules and everything running the way they should. He disliked when she skipped her tutoring sessions and always reprimanded her when she did such things. She doubted he knew about how boring her tutors were. It was like torture most of the time.

Kikyo smiled again because she was more than aware that tutoring was not on the girl’s favorite list of things to do. Sesshomaru was aware of that, too, but he stated any child of his was going to have a fully functioning brain or going to have to leave. Rin had called his bluff when he spoke those words and he countered by calling her bluff, letting her leave. She had made it to the courtyard before Kikyo stepped in and made her return. Kikyo chuckled at the memory, amused by her beloved’s parenting style. Rin loved him for it, of course, but it was an interesting little tug-of-war the father and daughter sometimes engaged in.

The child returned to reading while Kikyo continued to pet her head. The priestess glanced at the door, which was slightly open to give them a view of their favorite garden. Thankfully, there were no weasels in it today when they arrived, but all things could not last. Rin noticed where her mother’s eyes were, so she stopped reading and turned her attention to the door. Her cat even cast her gaze to the door.

A few seconds later, Itachi’s wife was before the pair with some female servants of hers in tow. She was dressed in a very fine kimono, which was to be expected of the spouse of a lord and a lady from a land known for its fine fabrics. She seemed very fashion conscious, as well. Her kimono was a deep purple color, matching two lightning bolt-shaped lines on her cheeks. Her skin was as pale as a cloud and her auburn hair had bright red highlights running through her long locks. She had sharp, narrow sapphire blue eyes, which was very odd for the type of demon she was.

The Lady weasel took a moment to regard Kikyo, even though the guest at least had her head bowed. She note Kikyo looked like any other mortal wench with eyes the color of filthy dirt and hair the same color as carrion-devouring crows. She even still bore the stench of a human, even though it was clear that she was covered in Sesshomaru’s musk. She could not believe that self-important dog bastard would actually lay with a human being.

“Yes, madam?” Kikyo inquired while Rin nearly sucked her teeth because of the intrusion on her time with her adoptive mother. It was the second time the unruly and disturbing guests had the nerve to interrupt their time together.

“I was wondering if you and the child would not mind if I remained in your company for a while. I’ve grown a bit lonely as our husbands have decided to discuss politics for a moment,” the noblewoman replied, sounding a little amused.

Rin turned her eyes to Kikyo and practically begged her mother to send that woman away. Surely, Kikyo felt the wicked intentions seeping from all parts of that woman’s body, so she should be sent away, Rin reasoned. Kikyo noticed the look from Rin and she knew just what those eyes begged. Unfortunately, it would be rude to give into her daughter’s desire.

“Please, join us,” Kikyo said. She did not want to play the game she knew was going on, the noble trying to figure out what was going on and how she might be able to use Kikyo in some way or if she could trick Kikyo somehow. Political life was not the life she was made for.

The demon settled into the room after shooing her servants away with a mere cut of her eyes. There was no way all of them would have been able to fit comfortably in that room. Rin turned her mouth up as a sign to show that she protested to the turn of events. Kikyo noticed and poked the child in the cheek to get her to stop making that face. Rin looked up at her mother, who shook her finger at the girl as a reprimand. Rin sighed and stared at her book, but she did not continue reading.

“You child is beautiful,” the weasel demon commented. Both humans knew that they were merely being paid lip service.

“Thank you. Rin, thank Lady Kaori,” Kikyo said.

“Do I have to?” Rin asked. It was not like the woman meant that compliment.

“Yes.”

“Thank you,” the child muttered rather insincerely. 

“Forgive her. I have disappointed her for the day by telling her that we will not be able to read together tomorrow,” Kikyo explained to the Lady to assure her that Rin’s current attitude was because of something that her mother had done. “You know how children can be when they don’t get their way.”

Kaori nodded and then turned her eyes to the little girl for a moment. She did look like Kikyo. Although, all humans looked alike to Kaori. Their blood smelled rather different, though, indicating that they were probably not related by blood in any way. Kaori thought that such a thing was very strange.

The weasel demon figured that Sesshomaru would only claim a human child as his own because the girl was actually the child of his wife, but it would seem that Rin was not Kikyo’s blood daughter. Kaori was a bit confused by that realization. _Why would anyone care about a child that wasn’t of their blood? Why the hell would that mutt claim a child that’s not even related to his woman?_ Nothing about that dog bastard or the priestess wench added up as far as Kaori was concerned. She did not know what to make of the couple.

“So, the two of you are reading together?” Kaori inquired since she noticed the book in Rin’s hands.

“Yes,” the girl answered in a bit of a huff. Kikyo was not used to the child having such an attitude since Rin was a jovial, carefree girl almost no matter what and it was very rare for her to show her dislike of people, especially with the person around.

“Rin is reading to me,” Kikyo elaborated while caressing Rin’s head again to get her to calm down some.

“Oh. Is that what a child does with a mother?” Kaori inquired as if she did not know.

“That’s what she does with me. I am not sure what a mother and child do together,” Kikyo replied. She had unfortunately lost her mother to childbirth. She was thankful that her little sister had survived the labor, though. Anything she knew about mothers and daughters came from observation.

“My husband and I haven’t tried for children yet,” Kaori commented.

Kikyo nodded, feeling no need to add to such a statement. She knew better than to discuss her and Sesshomaru having a child, especially with Rin around. The girl became extremely hyper when her parents spoke of offspring in her presence. She had a list of all the things she would do with her little brother or sister and it was long and she always had to run through the whole thing in full detail. Sometimes, Sesshomaru and Kikyo thought Rin believed a baby came into the world ready to be played with. They also believed that she would be disappointed for the whole time that Kikyo was pregnant when the time came because they did not think that she would be able to take the months of waiting. And then there was the fact that it would take months for the baby to do simple things like sit up. Added to that, Kikyo would be out of commission for a while during the last months of pregnancy and after and Rin would probably collapse in boredom and disappointment.

“I take it you and Sesshomaru will eventually have a child,” Kaori said to Kikyo. She figured if they planned children then the couple was serious about their relationship or alliance, whichever it was. That would mean trouble because it would probably be impossible to bait the woman from Sesshomaru.

“I suppose,” the priestess answered in a noncommittal tone, as if it was not something that they discussed or was on their priorities list. She wondered why the noblewoman would ask such a question. After all, what else was to be expected of a husband and wife than to produce tiny versions of themselves, especially a lord and his lady?

“You must relish in the fact that you are married to such a powerful and handsome lord,” the weasel demon commented. She thought small talk would get the human to open up some and give her some clue as to what she was doing with Sesshomaru, but she seemed as talkative as the damned dog himself.

“He is those things,” Kikyo replied as if that actually answered the question. Really, if Sesshomaru was nothing more than a beggar, but still had the heart that he had (the one he did not want any one to know about) she was sure she would love him just the same.

Kaori could tell that the priestess was purposely avoiding providing her with any information in regards to what she was doing with the dog demon. She was willing to bet that there was some underlying plot to the couple’s unholy union. Sesshomaru would never do anything so bizarre without a reason because he was a calculating demon and Kaori knew that as a fact. _What is the blasted mutt planning to do with this barbarian wench_ , Kaori pondered. _What might this damned priestess be planning? Who was using whom in the relationship?_ She wanted to know and she promised herself she would find out.

“Mommy, we’re gonna read again tomorrow,” Rin commanded in a low voice, catching the attention of their guest. Rin was not about to be cheated out of a day with one of her parents because some noblewoman wanted to be nosy.

“All right,” Kikyo agreed and she leaned down, kissing the girl’s head.

“She is a pushy little one,” Kaori commented, trying her best to sound amused. If the girl was hers, she would have slapped the child for making orders as if she was in charge.

“That she is, but she only a child,” Kikyo replied.

“Raising her before Sesshomaru came along must have been difficult for you,” the demon stated.

The priestess merely smiled. She could not think of anything better to do. She could not point out how stupid the woman was for assuming she had a child out of wedlock. Besides, if she had given birth to Rin, she would have done it at almost an impossible age. She would have been nine when Rin was born if she was the girl’s birth mother.

Kaori was not sure what to make of Kikyo’s expression. Rin glanced at her mother to see the minuscule smile that she was wearing. She wondered why her mother just smiled as a response. She could see that the smile had bemused their unwanted guest, so she thought that might be the reason for the expression. Did Kikyo just want to purposely perplex the demon?

“You are a very secretive woman it would seem,” Kaori said to Kikyo.

“This is untrue,” Kikyo replied. She was not secretive, only private, introverted to a certain extent. Besides, the demon was a stranger and possibly the wife of a lord looking to harm her dearest Sesshomaru. What wife would give up information to such a woman?

“Oh, then perhaps you just have ill feelings toward me,” Kaori remarked.

Kikyo shook her head a bit. “This is untrue.”

“Then why are you being so closed off when I am merely trying to be friendly?”

“It’s my gift,” she deadpanned. 

“Humor?” Kaori guessed that the woman was attempting to be witty.

“I’ve been told I’m poor at it,” Kikyo said dryly.

“You and Daddy,” Rin muttered. She tempted to go to her adoptive father, but thanks to the noblewoman in their company, she was aware that Sesshomaru was in just as bad a spot as they were. Nowhere was safe from these weasels. 

-8-8-8-8-

Sesshomaru believed himself to be somewhere below the ninth circle of Hell because he was being subjected the Itachi and his warped opinion on matters of the world. The thing that bothered Sesshomaru was that he knew the man was lying to his face and he just had to take it at the moment until he figured out what it was the man really wanted from him.

“I guess what I’m just trying to say is that the humans on my land are lazier than any other creatures I’ve seen,” Itachi commented. He had been waxing poetically about humans for almost an hour now.

“Humans have their place, like any other creature,” Sesshomaru replied. No, he did not like them, but again, he did not like anybody really.

“I suppose. Kind like women, right? I mean, my wife can be frivolous about things, but has her place.”

Sesshomaru groaned and was seriously tempted to kill himself to escape this conversation. Itachi began to drone on and on about his wife. Sesshomaru quickly noted the weasel lord seemed to be trying to learn about his marriage by offering advice and talking about his own union.

Sesshomaru did not offer much in return, not that he ever spoke at length about anything in particular. Besides, his own people did not know much about his marriage, so he damn sure was not going to allot a possible enemy access to such information. So, he let Itachi ramble on for long minutes at a time.

The dog demon wondered why the other lord was so interested in his marriage. He could not figure out the significance, except the fact that the weasel might take it as a sign of weakness that he was married to a mortal woman. He hoped the man did not make that incredibly moronic mistake. There was also the chance that the weasel thought he might be able to use Kikyo against Sesshomaru and the dog demon thought that idea was as equally idiotic as the first. Kikyo would purify him long before she allowed the man to use her in any way. 

-8-8-8-8-

Next time: Itachi tries to speak with Kikyo. Will he have better luck in dealing with her?


	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I don’t own Sesshomaru, Kikyo, or Rin. I promise I don’t.

Chapter 6

Itachi and his wife were situated in their bedroom. They were both frustrated from their days and decided to share their lack of information with each other.

“The priestess purposely withheld facts from me. I’m not sure if it’s because she was being cautious or because she simply doesn’t like me,” Lady Kaori stated with a frown.

Itachi grunted. “The damn mutt was the same, but then again, the stupid dog doesn’t like me enough to share much anyway.”

“Well, he doesn’t like anyone from what I can tell.

Itachi nodded. “I didn’t even get the feel he enjoyed having Kikyo around. He actually seemed rather apathetic in regards to the priestess. Even when she comes around, he doesn’t pay her much mind. It’s like he tolerated her presence, more than likely for her spiritual power.”

“How powerful could the wench be for someone like this mutt to keep her around, even though he doesn’t seem to care about her? In fact, he goes so far as to keep her brat around,” Kaori pointed out.

The weasel lord shook his head because he seriously did not know what to think about what was going on. “He has to be keeping that human bitch around for some malevolent reason. Why does the priestess stayed, though? Is she just looking to slay demons and willing to serve Sesshomaru just to do that?”

“It doesn’t seem that way. If she were looking to slay demons, why has she not slain us? Or even your guards who violated her space?” his wife pointed out.

He grunted. “She knows better than to touch my guards,” he stated.

Kaori figured it would be best to not argue with her husband on that subject. He was bewildered and curious by whatever motives made the priestess stay and not harm anyone in the process. She was more of a mystery than he liked. He at least could assume what was going on in Sesshomaru’s head, but there was no way of him knowing what was going on in her mind. He was already aware women were mysteries point blank, but she pushed that to the limit.

“Perhaps, I should speak with the human,” Itachi suggested.

“You can try. Don’t go to her when she’s with that girl. The girl’s discomfort affects that woman,” Kaori informed him.

“I suppose that should be expected. The girl is her daughter, after all,” he replied. He considered that the priestess might be a bit of a wanton wench to have a child and she had only just been married to Sesshomaru. There was a chance she gave herself to Sesshomaru for physical pleasure and in exchange he got to call on her to use her powers.

“I don’t believe they are blood relatives in any way. Their blood doesn’t smell remotely similar,” she commented.

His face twisted and he arched an eyebrow. “Then why would Sesshomaru claim the human brat as his daughter?”

“I don’t know. Do you suppose those rumors from a couple of years ago were true?” she countered.

“That Sesshomaru was traveling with a little human girl? Not likely. That sadistic bastard would’ve killed any human that got within ten feet of him,” he replied.

Kaori conceded with a nod. She did not know what to make of Rin in the picture. She assumed Rin was Kikyo’s in someway because it made no sense for those rumors about Sesshomaru to be true. It was confusing.

Everything in the dog demon’s household was beyond puzzling. It was pretty much unheard of, in fact. Sure, every now and then a demon married a mortal like Sesshomaru had done. Sesshomaru had to be the first demon in existence to marry a priestess, though. To make matters more bizarre, Sesshomaru had adopted a little human girl that was not related to him or his bride in any way. He should not care about that child, yet he had claimed her as his daughter. It did not make any sense! Nothing made any sense. 

-8-8-8-8-

The next day, Itachi and Kaori went to find out answers. Well, they hoped they would find out some answers. Itachi decided he would speak with Kikyo and maybe find out why she was in the demon society. He doubted she would be as complex as Sesshomaru. She would not be able to lie to his senses if she chose to withhold the truth. He would be able to read her body language, note any changes in her smell, or hear her heart rate speed up. He would discover what he wished to know.

Itachi located Kikyo in the room that she had been in yesterday with Rin. She read quietly to herself and stroked the back of Rin’s cat, Ran. Ran relaxed on her until the weasel lord approached the door. Kikyo cut her eyes toward the door. The kitten turned her head to the door also and hissed angrily when the aristocrat stood before them. Kikyo ran soothing fingers down the creature’s back to calm it down, but that was not working.

“Milord,” Kikyo said without standing up or bowing to the man.

“Milady,” he replied with a slight bow.

“Is there something I can do for you?” she inquired politely. She wondered how long it would take Sesshomaru to just get fed up with providing the weasels with life’s essentials and bark at them to go back home. She would second the suggestion the moment that it came up.

“I was wondering if I might be able to ask you a few questions,” he answered honestly.

“About Sesshomaru?” she guessed. 

“I suppose,” he replied with a smile. She figured he tried to appear friendly and charming, but he was succeeding in looking more conniving.

“What do you wish to know?” she asked as if she seriously planned on telling him anything at all about anything. She was not sure why the man would assume she was stupid enough to share information with someone her husband clearly disliked.

He smiled and stepped further into the room. She watched every move he made. He sat a respectable distance from her. Ran buried herself deep into Kikyo’s waist. She continued to caress the kitten, taking note of the feline’s reaction.

“So, I was wondering, how does a priestess come to be married to such a demon lord? Surely, there must be some rule against that,” he remarked, attempting to win her over with humor, she supposed.

“No, there isn’t,” Kikyo replied dryly, her eyes drifting back to her book.

“Well, then, someone of your kind must see something very deep in Sesshomaru.”

“My kind?” she echoed, tilting her head slightly.

“A priestess. Someone very pure at heart,” he elaborated.

Kikyo nodded, if only to show she heard him. She doubted a demon would comprehend human purity. She barely understood it anymore. But then again, most of the world no longer made sense to her since she was not really living in the world that she was accustomed to anymore.

“You must see something in Sesshomaru or perhaps he lied to you,” Itachi commented smoothly, like she was meant to miss that last part.

“Perhaps,” she offered, trying to see where he was going with his statements. He could be looking to get her to reveal some secret weakness or he might just be looking to make her doubt her husband. Either way, she wished he would leave her to her book. She did not get much leisure time with Rin and Sesshomaru around; the former wanted her to play and the latter wanted her to learn all about her new world.

“I mean, as an ordinary human being, you couldn’t possibly know much about him.”

“That is plausible.”

“Surely he has not revealed his true nature to you.”

Kikyo wondered what the point was in trying to make her curious of her husband. She did not see what he could accomplish in making her doubt her dearest. It seemed he was trying to play a mind game with her. How sad for him since from what she could tell he did not have much mind to play with.

“You know that Sesshomaru can’t possibly want you as an actual wife,” Itachi stated.

“Why do you say that?” she inquired, still not bothering to look at the man. She kept her eyes focused on her book and she actually still read it, just not as quickly as before. Sesshomaru and Rin had taught her to never let an annoyance get in the way of what she was doing, especially if she was reading a good story in Rin’s case.

“Well, you are human.”

“I’ve noticed.”

“You must know that he would never have a child by you,” the lord pointed out.

“No?” she asked in her usual plain way of speaking, so she did not sound very curious about his declaration, which he noticed.

Itachi wondered why the woman was not more interested in the things that he had to say. She should have practically demanded to know what he meant since her role as Sesshomaru’s wife would be to produce his heir and as a woman, she should want nothing more than to fulfill such a role. She did not seem to care, though. He figured if he continued on then she would be interested because she could not possibly know anything about Sesshomaru if she was actually married to him and this whole thing was not some farce. He thought if she remained uninterested in the topic then she was using the dog demon or they were cooperating to do something nefarious.

“Sesshomaru detests hanyou children,” Itachi informed the priestess.

“Does he?” she asked in a dull tone, eyes still on her book.

“Has he told you that he has a brother?”

“No,” Kikyo replied honestly. Sesshomaru tried his best to not mention his brother. His brother had been the one that mentioned Sesshomaru the first time. The full demon occasionally brought up Inuyasha, but he preferred not to think about his little brother, claiming that the younger male just made his head instantly hurt. When he said such things, it truly amused Kikyo.

“Well, he does. He has a younger half brother, who is also half human. I know for a fact that he has tried to kill him,” the weasel lord said.

“Really?” Kikyo replied. She felt he downplayed it by making it seem like only once. Inuyasha would argue that it was hundreds of times, at the least, as he had a bit of a habit of exaggerating. Sesshomaru liked to point out that if he was trying to kill Inuyasha, he would have only required one attempt.

“He has openly attempted to murder his own flesh and blood because his young brother is a half-breed. Now, do you understand why he would never allow you to bare his child?” Itachi pointed out.

Kikyo nodded for lack of a better thing to do. He did not present her with any compelling information as to why Sesshomaru would not reproduce with her. She knew why Sesshomaru disliked his little brother and the main reason had little to do with who the younger brother’s mother was. Sesshomaru’s number one reason was that he truly believed Inuyasha was a brain-dead idiot. He would not be surprised if Inuyasha’s head was cracked open and his skull was found to be completely empty or full of crumbled up paper. Sesshomaru would not mind so much that Inuyasha was a moron if only he did not actually have the ability to learn, but he seemed just to choose not to do so. Inuyasha seemed to like being stupid, Sesshomaru thought.

“I’m sure Sesshomaru hasn’t truly told you what kind of man he is,” Itachi said. Kikyo noticed the lord disliked silence. If she sat there without saying anything, he seemed to need to fill the air with words.

“I’m sure he hasn’t,” Kikyo concurred. Sesshomaru more showed her what type of man he was rather than saying it in plain words. She wondered what the thin lord was going to tell her about her beloved now.

“He has done some of the worse things imaginable, worse than attempting to kill his little brother,” Itachi stated.

“Has he?”

“He slaughter many of his father’s most trusted samurai as soon as he came to power,” the lord informed Kikyo.

The priestess knew the story behind Sesshomaru’s battle. It had led to one of them reasons he detested Inuyasha so much for so long. He doubted he had ever been so angry and disappointed than the day his father ran off and gave his life to save Inuyasha and that woman. It was the one time he found himself calling his father a fool because the man had set himself up, not only for his own demise, but the chaos that his lands broke into and he left Sesshomaru to deal with such a mess. The worse of it for Sesshomaru was that his father left him to keep the west together with a sword that did not cut. Sesshomaru still had land to rule mostly to spite his father, to show that his will was strong enough to hold together anything despite his father’s irresponsible behavior.

Sesshomaru did not mean it was irresponsible of his father to go protect his offspring and woman. He thought it was irresponsible of the so-called great dog demon to leave them in a hostile environment in the first place. He should have kept his woman with him at all times. If Kikyo was carrying his child, Sesshomaru would not let her ten feet away from him, even though he knew she was capable of taking care of herself, and he told her such. She believed him.

“What did he do after slaughtering so many men?” Kikyo inquired as if she did not know Sesshomaru had killed everyone trying to break his father’s lands apart for their own personal use.

“He subjugated the people under his rule, demons and humans alike,” the weasel replied. 

“How so?” she asked. From what she had seen, walking through Sesshomaru’s lands and such, there was not much dissension. He was a very hands-off type of lord because he never stayed some place long enough to truly understand what people required. He always placed trustworthy and competent samurai on the lands to take care of local matters. He just made sure to keep in touch with those samurai and get many reports from them.

“Do you doubt my word?” Itachi asked. It seemed that he required time to think of reasons to back up why Sesshomaru was a tyrant.

“I merely request facts to support the statement, like any other semi-intelligent being would,” she answered. She guessed he assumed she was just outright stupid and would take everything he said as the truth.

“He has murdered hundreds of his own people,” he declared.

“Has he now?” she asked. She had no doubt that Sesshomaru had a high body count on him, but she was convinced he would never just slaughter those in his care for no reason at all. Those not in his care, well, that was another story and she was well aware of that.

“He has,” Itachi replied with conviction.

“Has he ever gotten around to slaying his brother?” she inquired to feign interest in the conversation.

“I’m sure he has,” he stated confidently.

Kikyo nodded again. Sesshomaru had, of course, not gotten around to killing Inuyasha. In fact, he made his little brother a samurai and gave him land as a wedding gift. Inuyasha had married that girl from the future and they trotted between times, even though they seemed to be spending more and more time in the feudal era. Sesshomaru informed his brother that it was rather dimwitted of him to take a bride and have nothing to offer her. He had described the actions in a clipped tone saying, “…such shortsighted foolishness was just like Inuyasha.” The half-breed took offense to the words and rudely accepted the present, making sure to use several profane words.

Kikyo thought that Sesshomaru was actually a softie when it came to the right people and as hard as he tried to deny it, Inuyasha was on that short list. The full demon constantly sent word to Inuyasha, claiming it was business, but he was really checking on the younger dog to make sure everything was all right. The brothers had to keep up the appearance that they detested each other, though.

Sesshomaru was a protector, plain and simple. Kikyo understood that was his nature and it was one of the reasons that she was with him. He did his best to make sure that those in his care were safe and secure no matter what. He just had a very odd, cold, detached way of showing it a great deal of the time.

“Sesshomaru sounds rather malevolent,” Kikyo commented.

“He is,” Itachi assured her. He considered he might be able to frighten her away from that haughty dog.

“Sir, you may find this hard to believe, but my husband has kept me well informed of his affairs,” Kikyo told the weasel demon, just to watch that confident look in his beady eyes whither away like a flower in the frost.

“Meaning?”

“You can’t surprise me with information, unless of course, you lie,” she said, glancing up to look him dead in the eye for the first time since he came into the room. She could see how confused he was and he did not know what to do.

“Madam, I don’t lie,” he huffed for lack of a better riposte. He was flustered and it was visible on his face, which turned a bright red. He did not know what make of the woman or her relationship with Sesshomaru.

“Well, then, we have nothing to discuss as I know my husband’s business, so you can’t tell me anything new,” she pointed out.

Kikyo noted she offended Itachi with her words from the way that his body jerked ever so slightly. He hastily bid her good day and exited the room, much to her delight. She wondered what the point of his coming into the room in the first place. What was the purpose of trying to make her doubt her beloved? She could not guess what Itachi might be attempting to achieve in making her faith in Sesshomaru falter. 

-8-8-8-8-

“Kikyo, have you stayed in here all day?” Sesshomaru asked as he came by the room that the priestess and the kitten lounged in.

“I have,” she replied while Ran the cat hopped up and slowly made her way to Sesshomaru’s leg. The feline rubbed against the dog demon and he did his best to ignore the creature.

“You had nothing better to do?” he asked, staring down at her.

Teasing him a bit, she kept her eyes on her book. “No. Something’s been bothering me.”

“What?” he inquired while going to sit down next to her. She leaned against him as soon as he was settled.

“Your guest has some strange interest in us.”

“I know.”

“Today, he seemed to try to make me think that you have not been honest with me and that you are some kind of a beast on two legs,” she reported.

“You believed him?”

“No, of course not. He didn’t tell me anything I didn’t already know. But, why would did he do it?” she wondered aloud.

“I’m not sure,” Sesshomaru admitted. He could not see why the other lord was so interested in Kikyo. She was only a human woman, after all. What could they want her for? 

-8-8-8-8-

Next time: Itachi stalks Kikyo while Kaori harasses Sesshomaru. How much longer will the dog demon put up with this?


	7. Chapter 7

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Still don’t own Sesshomaru, Kikyo, or Rin.

Chapter 7

Sesshomaru pondered on the issue that had been bothering his wife, which was why in the hell was his guest so interested in Kikyo? He could only think Itachi wanted to use Kikyo against him, but he could not think of how the man might try that. It was not like Kikyo would just go along willing with anything that the weasel wanted to try and it was not possible for her to be forced into anything. She was just too strong-willed to be forced into things by such weak demons. Even still, he decided he would keep an eye on his wife and his guests to make sure that nothing happened.

The dog demon now personally watched his wife as she and their adopted daughter moved about the castle, shadowing them. When they had first come to stay at the palace, Sesshomaru had frequently studied Kikyo and Rin when they were together. It relaxed him to see them together, enjoying each other’s company. Something about the joy on Rin’s face really did something to him and he was not sure what it was, but he knew she needed Kikyo just as much, if not more, than he did. He would make sure that he got to take pleasure in such a sight for as long as possible.

Right now, this was not about pleasure, though. This was about safety. He could not even trust his guards with this anymore. Kikyo had put up with the guards keeping an eye on them, but he did his best to make sure she did not know he was there. He did not want to hear her argument about how he had better things to do with his time and how she could take care of them. He knew she could take care of herself and Rin, but he _needed_ to be sure of their safety.

“Milord,” Kaori said as she approached Sesshomaru, much to his dismay.

“Milady,” Sesshomaru replied, turning his attention to her and away from his family. He politely bowed his head slightly to her and she smiled. She then annoyed him by just standing there for three seconds without saying anything.

“I have not seen much of you during this visit,” she finally said, still smiling. Her perfume and scent filled the air and turned his stomach. He never cared much for Kaori.

The guests had been in Sesshomaru’s home for over a week and he had not seen much of Lady Kaori, somewhat on purpose. He was thankful to not see much of her. He knew her better than he knew her husband. She was a viper in weasel clothing, but he did not expect anything less from a noblewoman. No one was to be trusted in the upper class, but he knew that a man should always be extra-cautious around a woman, whether she was wed or not. A woman’s motives were always top secret, sometimes they did not even make sense, and her methods were infinite along with being underhanded and vicious a great deal of the time.

“You are still very handsome, milord,” Kaori said with a small flutter of her eyelashes.

Sesshomaru merely looked at the Lady weasel. She expected such from him. He had never been much for verbal communication. His wife was similar to him in that regard, being just as tightlipped as the indifferent dog demon. Kaori wondered if the similarities between Sesshomaru and Kikyo were deeper than just choosing specific times to speak. She actually considered that the couple might be married because they at least liked each other and they could get along. The notion almost disgusted her and it was so ludicrous her husband refused to consider it.

“I wonder, you have taken a human wife and claimed a human as your child. Will the little girl also inherit your lands?” Kaori asked in a quiet, almost demure tone. If he was going to give that little monkey his lands, she and her husband should just wait for him to die… or speed up the process in someway.

The golden-eyed lord did not respond because the answer to that question was hardly any of the woman’s business. He had not even considered naming Rin his heir. The girl just was not suited for ruling anything. She did not have the personality for it, but he felt that she would be a great asset to his heir in regards to advice and a number of other things, provided she learned to focus as she got older.

“Are you just not talking to me, milord?” Kaori practically purred at him.

“I’m merely waiting for something worth my answering,” he replied in a dull tone to express his disinterest in her. He glanced over her, checking on his wife and child. Kikyo was on one knee, holding a butterfly in her palms up to Rin’s face.

“Fair enough. So, have you agreed to trade with my husband in order to deck your humans in our fine silks?” she asked, holding up her arms to show off her latest kimono.

He glanced at her and actually imagined Kikyo and Rin in similar clothing. The picture was laughable. They just were not made for such things. Rin would probably tear a silk kimono within ten minutes of pulling it on… if she could stay still long enough to put on a proper kimono.

“Still no answer?” she asked.

“Still nothing worth answering.”

“You will never change,” she stated in an amused tone, throwing her head back slightly with a light laugh. He was like a block of ice for as long as she could recall. Women used to swear he was either completely interested in other men or dead from the way he did not react to their advances.

“Indeed,” he concurred in a grunt. He watched Rin go to touch the butterfly and it predictably flew away. Rin chased after it and quickly showed she might possibly be feral from her time wandering with him because she climbed part of the wall to try to catch the butterfly as it got away from her.

The amused look did not leave Kaori’s face. “You took a wife so quickly and quietly, Lord Sesshomaru. We have only just heard about it in our lands.” She brushed a hand against his chest.

“Some still have not heard,” he pointed out and backed away from her, putting more than an arm’s length of distance between them. He refused to advertise his marriage. It was not anyone’s business and he hated so many people swore up and down that his marriage was their business. If he wanted people to know about the union, he would have invited them to what he thought was an irksome event for most of the day.

“Are you… ashamed?” she asked with a taunting smile and an arched eyebrow.

“I don’t shame,” he answered, but he definitely got annoyed and the subject of his marriage brought up by someone other than Kikyo was a good way to bother him. Most of his vassals and staff learned this the hard way.

“No, that’s right. I forgot that you’re perfect. Perfection has nothing to be ashamed of. So, this act was a calculated, thought out move of perfection,” she reasoned.

The platinum-haired male did not reply. Why were these people so interested in his marriage? He considered for what felt like the millionth time they might foolishly assume he was weak for marrying a human woman or that he was losing his mind, which might explain their visit. They more than likely wanted to see which it was first hand. He hated knowing they were more than likely plotting to try and use his beloved against him. They were going to regret whatever it was when they tried. For now, he just regretted they existed and that he had to put up with them.

To calm himself, he sought out his family once more. Kikyo grabbed Rin by the waist to help down from the castle wall. Of course, the priestess scolded her for behaving like a little monkey. _Rin, we’ll turn you into something like a lady eventually_ , he thought. He was fairly certain that would only happen when she matured, though.

“I wonder why you would take a mortal mate considering all of the demon females offered to you. So many noblewomen to choose from and you settled on a mortal woman who is a priestess of all things,” Kaori said, drawing his attention again.

“What I do is none of your concern,” Sesshomaru replied, waving her statement off.

Kaori smiled slightly. “You’re so defensive, even now,” she commented while reaching out to actually touch him, touch his face. He dodged the contact and stepped away from her grasp once again.

“You’re overstepping your boundaries,” he pointed out in an apathetic tone, as if he did not care.

She smiled again and pulled her hand back. “Forgive me, milord,” she apologized and bowed her head a little. The movement seemed mocking.

Sesshomaru waved it off and decided to dismiss himself from the lady’s presence. He did not wish to bother with Kaori or whatever games she wanted to play. He turned his attention back to his wife and daughter only to discover that they were gone. He sighed and walked off without bidding the noblewoman farewell. 

-8-8-8-8-

Kikyo followed behind Rin, who was chasing a goat. Kikyo could not believe the energy Rin had because she was doing a good job of keeping up with the little goat, even after many minutes of running and in her bare feet. The priestess was not too sure how much longer she would last following them, though. The hot summer air was not making the task any easier. Of course, Rin did not seem to think anything of it.

Kikyo was curious as to where Rin got the goat. It was as if she turned her head for a moment and then Rin stood before her with the white and grey kid. Her daughter claimed to have saved the animal, but she was not sure if that was the total truth since Rin had a habit of telling stories from how she perceived things to be rather than how they really were. It was quite possible Rin had stolen someone’s goat without meaning to. She suspected she would find out if someone came searching or complaining about the missing animal.

While keeping up with Rin and making sure that the child did not cause any trouble, Kikyo noticed something. She spied Itachi following them. He skulked around in the shadows, probably thinking that her human senses were too dull to take note of him. She could not help wondering what the man wanted.

Kikyo disliked the weasel lord creeping around with her daughter playing in the area. She was very tempted to fire an arrow at him, not to hit him, but to discourage him from following around her child. As he continued on, the idea became even more tempting and the notion of not hitting him was fading from her mind.

“I could put one right between his eyes,” she murmured as she paused for a moment. Rin thankfully caught the goat, and possibly hurt herself and the goat in the process as she tackled the creature. Sliding with the goat in her arms, Rin put a lot of dust in the air as she went through the dirt in the courtyard.

“Gotcha!” Rin laughed in triumph, hugging the small animal to her body.

“At least she’s not hurt,” Kikyo sighed and then glanced up to keep track of the weasel lord.

Itachi did not think he had been spotted. After all, this was rather simple. He was following two mortals and one of them was more concerned over a goat than anything else, so he continued on. As they came to a courtyard, he hid in the shadows, behind a thick support beam. He wanted to see if he might find the reason for the priestess being in the castle, for her being married to Sesshomaru. He did not see anything, though, except that she was like a nursemaid for that barbarian child in her keep.

The priestess seemed to disappear from Itachi’s view as he pondered why she would be with Sesshomaru. He was baffled by her seemingly supernatural powers because she had so easily vanished from his sight. He turned around to go find her and nearly walking right into Kikyo.

“Milord,” Kikyo greeted him coldly, glaring at him.

Itachi gasped and then quickly took a few steps away from her. She guessed it was because of what Sesshomaru had done to the last weasels to get too close. In a moment, losing his eye would be the least of his concerns if she had anything to say about it.

“Milady,” he replied, swallowing hard.

“Please, call me Kikyo,” she requested as gracious as she could sound.

“That’s quite all right, Lady Kikyo.”

She shook her head. Apparently, he was a coward. He probably did not want to chance her husband hearing him address her informally. Sesshomaru probably would not take kindly to such a thing, even if she had given him permission.

“May I help you with something, sir?” Kikyo inquired because she wanted to hear the reason he would give for stalking her and Rin.

A lone bead of sweat ran down his thin face. “No, I am fine.”

“Are you sure?” she asked with a level look.

“I am.”

“Perhaps you are lost,” she offered him something to use since he obviously was not one for thinking on his feet.

“No! Of course I’m not lost,” he objected. She made it sound like he was incompetent.

“Then what brings you to this part of the castle?” she asked as if she did not know. The problem was that they were in a courtyard that Sesshomaru had closed to off to everyone, guests included, except for his family. It was a place that he, Kikyo, and Rin could go to be together and alone. Only one other person was allowed to enter and that was Jakken and Sesshomaru specified that the little toad had better be bearing special news if he did enter the family sanctuary.

“That’s what I would like to know,” Sesshomaru commented as he seemed to appear out of nowhere behind Itachi, causing the weasel lord to leap from surprise and fear if the dog demon’s nose was right.

“Lord Sesshomaru,” Itachi practically squeaked, not realizing how close he was to Kikyo now.

“What is he doing here?” the platinum-haired male asked his wife.

“Leaving, I’m sure,” she replied and Itachi took the hint.

“Good day, milord and milady.” The weasel demon bowed to the couple and quickly made his way out of the place.

Sesshomaru watched the shorter male almost trip over himself as he left. The dog demon growled under his breath. He then turned his attention to Kikyo and took her in his arms. He noticed something was off about her and he sniffed the air around her. She knew what the problem was.

“The scent is my fault. I sneaked up on him and got very close, looking to distress him a bit,” Kikyo explained. Perhaps, she should have shot the weasel. Surely, it would have bothered her husband less had she done that.

“What was he doing here?” Sesshomaru asked, glancing in the direction the little weasel fled.

“Following us.”

Sesshomaru frowned. “I dislike how interested this man is in you. I think I shall send him on his way in a few days. I could care less about why he is here or if I look like a terrible host. They have to go.”

“I won’t object in the slightest. I don’t trust him and I have already considered shooting him for sneaking around with Rin here.”

Sesshomaru was close to laughing. “I can’t have you slaying our noble guests, so I shall send him away soon. Is that good enough for you?”

“As long as he keeps away from our child,” she answered in a deadly tone. She had taken to carrying her bow and quiver in case those weasels tried anything, but she had not expected the lord to do something. Now, if he as much as looked at their daughter wrong, Kikyo would put an arrow through him.

“And people think I’m overprotective,” he remarked. He had no doubt should Kikyo find the other lord following their child again, he would be shot and killed by Kikyo’s own hand.

Kikyo only cut him a glance. She turned his eyes to Rin, who was apparently having a great time with her tiny goat. Sesshomaru turned to regard Rin and saw her playing with the beast. He sighed and shook his head. Rin certainly was a free spirit and he had no idea what he was supposed to do with her.

“You know, I used to suspect there was something wrong with Rin,” Sesshomaru whispered to make sure the child did not hear his words.

“Because she is happy?” Kikyo guessed.

“Openly happy.” 

“She appreciates life and what it has brought her.”

“Death to her kin, beaten, and then killed by filthy wolves?” he asked. He did not see why Rin would be happy with the cards life dealt her.

“Rebirth thanks to a kind demon lord, safety, warmth, and love. You would be surprised how little a human requires for happiness,” Kikyo commented with a small smile, gently rubbing his abdomen.

He glanced down at her, then to Rin, and then back to her. “I think that it’s only you and Rin.”

She shrugged. “Be that as it may, we are happy.”

“And to me, that’s what matters,” Sesshomaru replied while leaning down to gently kiss her mouth. 

-8-8-8-8-

Next time: The “guests” are given the boot. What will they do once Sesshomaru kicks them out?


	8. Chapter 8

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I don’t own Sesshomaru, Kikyo, or Rin.

Chapter 8

Itachi was aware that Sesshomaru would no longer tolerate his presence long before the dog demon made it known through out the castle, which was why the weasel lord put a plan in motion. He had not come to understand why Sesshomaru had married to the priestess, but he would not allow that mutt to keep her. Itachi would have her no matter what and force her to kill that egotistical dog no matter what too. He just could not allow Sesshomaru to keep such a powerful and likely dangerous human in his custody. It helped that he was happy to put one over on the haughty lord.

“He thinks so much of himself, but let’s see what happens when he loses that damned priestess,” Itachi muttered to the dark, warm air of his bedroom. 

-8-8-8-8-

Rin waved to the exiting party of weasel demons. She was beyond happy to see them go and it was clear from the huge grin on her face. She excitedly bid them farewell from a balcony in the castle. She clutched her one-eared kitten to her chest and the injured creature seemed just as happy to see them go. Rin forced the kitten to wave with her good front paw.

“Nobody’ll interrupt our time with Mommy and Daddy now, Ran. Isn’t that great?” Rin asked the cat while trotting off to go find one of her parents and just enjoy being with one of them with the knowledge that no weasel would be lurking around.

Rin dashed through the castle, searching for her parents. She asked whoever she saw in her path if they knew where to find her parents, but she did not stick around for an answer. Part of the fun was the search itself and being able to zip through every corridor and room until she discovered them.

She came across her parents in a small sitting room, but she did not go in because she could hear them speaking to each other. She considered being rude and just bursting in to demand their attention, but she decided against that. She would be good for once and wait because they deserved time alone, too, now that the weasels were gone. She parked herself against the wall opposite the room and busied herself by caressing her kitten, who seemed to relish in the acknowledgment, purring contently with each soft stroke. Rin smiled because of the sound.

“Do you have a date with Rin?” Sesshomaru asked Kikyo because he could smell the girl and her accursed cat outside the room.

“She more than likely wants to spend time with us. Are you done?” Kikyo inquired. She rested against his shoulder, even though they had a serious discussion about their guests’ departure.

“I suppose. I do have men following Itachi to make sure that he goes home and stays there,” he informed her.

Kikyo nodded. She appreciated knowing that fact. She was glad the guests were gone. She had been very close to purifying a great deal of them because they were constantly stalking her, especially when Rin was around her. They made her very uncomfortable, the way they looked at her. Being a target did not bother her, but when those looks turned to Rin, it was a problem.

Sesshomaru reached out and caressed Kikyo’s cheek to put her more at ease. She leaned into his touch and kissed his palm. He almost smiled, but he caught himself. He then stood up and she followed suit. They exited the room, causing Rin to grin while climbing to her feet. She hopped right in front of her parents.

“Hi,” she greeted them brightly.

“Must you carry this kitten everywhere?” Sesshomaru asked Rin. He had no idea where she found the little miscreant, but he wished she had left it there.

“Uh-huh!” Rin answered enthusiastically while handing Ran over to Kikyo.

Once Kikyo secured the cat, Rin then climbed into Sesshomaru’s arms, literally climbed. Kikyo laughed while the Lord looked absolutely baffled by the girl’s outrageous behavior. She had never in her life done such a thing.

Sesshomaru looked to Kikyo to hopefully get some sort of rationalization for why Rin was climbing on her him like she was a little monkey. Kikyo smiled a bit. He really was clueless when it came to children.

“She is happy and she desires your attention, beloved,” Kikyo informed him to assure him that Rin had not gone stark, raving mad.

“Fine,” he sighed while making sure to hold Rin up. Rin clung to him in a tight hug and sighed as she rested her head on his shoulder.

“You’re happy too,” Kikyo teased and planted a soft kiss on the corner of his mouth. His lip twitched, almost smiling, but he caught himself just in time again. 

-8-8-8-8- 

Sesshomaru would admit that he was happy the weasel demons were gone, but he felt even better once he was assured they had gone home. He hoped they stayed there.

He was still on guard, wondering why they had been so interested in his marriage and his mate in particular. He knew they were scheming. He hoped being home at least slowed their scheme down. He was not sure how much intelligence they had gathered while at his castle. It was something to look into, but life went on as usual and Sesshomaru had to let go of the weasels as he received a message from the southern tip of his lands. Of course he would get bad news right before bed.

He needed to tell Kikyo, but it slipped his mind when he actually saw her. Instead, he watched her braid her hair for the night and then found himself pressing desperate kisses against her throat. It was not until they settled down for actual sleep that he remembered the message.

“Kikyo,” Sesshomaru said as she settled against his chest and side.

“Yes?” she asked with a yawn. She wondered what issue her beloved wanted to discuss when she was moments away from sleep.

He sighed. “I’ve got to leave here tomorrow.”

“Why?” she inquired, sitting up to look him in his face.

“There are bandits terrorizing the south,” he reported. It was actually the weakest link in his lands. The man that was in charge was ancient, but it was also the most peaceful place, so he did not think too much of it.

“Human bandits?”

“Yes,” he answered, which let her know one of the reasons why he would not be taking her along with him.

“And you must go to handle this? It seems like a rather minor problem.”

Sighing, he caressed her cheek with the hope of relaxing her. “One would think. Unfortunately, the demon in charge is rather old and possibly senile considering these bandits have caused such a problem. This isn’t something he usually has to deal with.”

“What of the samurai you have stationed there?” she asked.

“They were killed,” he answered as if it was nothing.

“Oh,” was all she could manage.

“I shouldn’t be gone too long. It would be best for you to stay here anyway. Someone has to make sure everything here continues to run smoothly,” he pointed out.

“That would be my duty, would it not?” she asked with a hint of humor in her voice. She was supposed to take care of the household, but it was not something she had been practicing, nor had it been something he encouraged.

“I believe so,” he replied with some humor in his voice also.

Kikyo cast her husband a simple glance and a soft kiss to his lips before cuddling up to him again. Sesshomaru did not protest to the soft, warm body pressing against him. He groaned as she slid her leg against his.

“Kikyo,” he warned her.

She merely smiled, completely aware of what she was doing to him. He considered taking sleep from her once more, but he doubted that would do any good. She needed to be alert and aware tomorrow to handle her first day of being in charge. Besides, it would give him incentive to hurry back, remembering and wanting her and her delicious body. Of course, it might also distract him.

Kikyo was a bit curious as to why Sesshomaru had not practically pounced on her once more. She would like to feel him again now that she knew he was leaving. She wanted to savor him while she had him. She gathered he wanted her to rest to be ready for her duties. Besides, he would need his strength for his journey. If the matter were not so serious, she would have teased him about it because it amused him when she was playful.

“Goodnight,” she whispered to him, settling and she was still against him. She would be playful when he returned.

The dog demon liked it when his wife was a little mischievous because she often seemed shy around him when it came to their being intimate. He recalled when they were first wed. She had been so timid the night they consummated their bond. He was not sure if her behavior was human prudishness or if it was merely her, but he made it his mission to work such a nature out of her. He had made it a habit to lay with her at least once every night until she at least stopped covering herself when he undressed her. She had only recently ceased to try and hide from him. 

-8-8-8-8-

In the morning, there was a short goodbye between just the family. Kikyo offered Sesshomaru a warm hug and kiss. Rin was not so easy, though.

“But, there’s so much stuff for us to do. Why are you leaving now?” the child inquired. She did not whine. It was closer to a demand.

“I have matters to tend to. You have Kikyo here with you,” he reminded her.

“But, it’s best with both of you, Daddy,” Rin stated.

Rin finally cracked the mask, causing Sesshomaru smiled. Rin laughed and threw herself against him. He returned the embrace.

“I’ll be back soon,” he promised.

“I’ll be right here to greet you,” she vowed.

Sesshomaru released Rin and then he left his home, heading south. He took Jakken with him, knowing the little demon would only annoy Kikyo. Of course, she would ignore him, but then Jakken would complain to Sesshomaru upon his return. It was easiest to just take Jakken with him.

Sesshomaru was confident that Kikyo would be able to take care of the affairs around the castle, even though he had never left her alone at the castle before. She would have to learn how to command their household eventually, anyway. After all, with the times they lived in, who knew when he would have to leave to fight in a war or aid an ally. A number of things could come up where he would need to leave her alone. She needed to be seen as the one in charge in his absence.

The dog demon tried not to think about Kikyo as he traveled to the southern tip of his lands. She would distract him. He just wanted to get this over with and then get back to her.

He immediately saw the destruction the bandits were reaping on his territory. The sky was blackened with smoke and ash from the fires. The air was thick from the smothering grey cloud covering the land like a blanket of soot. Fields and homes were ruined, charred from the flames of devastation. Bodies were everywhere, festering and swollen, being devoured by vermin. Sesshomaru frowned at the sight.

“Who would dare touch your lands like this, Master Sesshomaru?” Jakken wondered aloud.

“Whoever it was that had done such a thing would pay in blood,” Sesshomaru decided.

Sesshomaru detested when anyone took liberties in his lands and disturbed the peace of the people living under him. He looked at it as deliberate disrespect toward him, even if the people attacking did not know that the lands were his. How dare someone have the gall to test him and try to terrorize his people? He would not stand for it.

The lord pulled his sword, Toukijin. He went after any bandits that caught his eye with swift, powerful vengeance. He kept his eyes and nose open to hopefully spot the leader of the foolish group of malcontents. He wanted answers as to why they were doing something so incredibly stupid and then he would end the morons’ leader.

The platinum-haired demon calmly cut through the idiotic highwaymen with no thought of mercy on his part. He caught sight of a regally dressed man on a horse and decided that was the man he needed to speak with. He charged the man and cut his horse out from underneath him. All the man saw was a white and silver blur go by him before his horse cried out. The beast collapsed and the man hit the ground hard like a crate that was tossed from a wagon.

The man screamed until his face smashed into the hard earth. Groaning, he rolled over and sat up. Sesshomaru marched up to the man and put his sword to the human’s throat.

“What exactly do you think you’re doing?” Sesshomaru demanded in such a calm tone that his whole being seemed malicious.

“Don’t kill me!” the man begged. His face bled from the impact of being tossed from his horse and skidding in the dirt.

“Why are you here?”

“We-we-we-we were pa-pa-pa-pa-paid to come here,” the man confessed easily, voice trembling as he stared down at Sesshomaru’s blade.

“Paid? By whom?” he inquired. Who would pay men to ravage his lands?

“I don’t know!” the man insisted.

Sesshomaru frowned. “Don’t try my patience,” he warned the man, pressing his sword to the man’s skin. He could always send out people to discover who paid men to attack his property.

“He-he-he-he didn’t g-g-g-give a name.” The man took a breath as Sesshomaru glared at him. “He just paid us and told us to attack this area on his command. He said it would be easy. He said that if we did a good job, he would let us have this land when it was under his control,” the man explained.

The dog demon’s frown deepened. Who was attempting to take over his territory? Why would they start with the south? He understood it was a weak point, but he could crush anything in the south, especially if he called on the assistance of the lord that bordered his land because that lord would perceive the attack as a threat to him since it would be too close to his lands for comfort. Unless, of course, it was that lord that had done the attacking, but that did not add up because he would have used his army and not some group of dimwitted human bandits, especially a group of bandits who would so easily give up the plan.

“This person that approached you, what did he look like?” Sesshomaru asked the trembling man, pressing the tip of his sword just deep enough to draw a drop of blood.

The man’s teeth chattered. “He-he-he-he was c-c-c-c-covered fr-fr-fr-fr-from head to toe.”

Sesshomaru was already angry, but was becoming infuriated because the frightened human was proving very useless to him. He decided to rid himself of the pitiful soul and finish his work. The man did not even have time to scream as his head slid from his neck.

“Master, someone staged this whole thing? Who do you think it was? What do you think he was trying to accomplish?” Jakken asked, but Sesshomaru ignored him and turned his attention to the remaining bandits.

Sesshomaru pressed on, his mind whirling. What was going on? What was the point in hiring people to assault the border of his land? Then he thought, what if it was not an attack on his lands really, considering how easy it was to halt, just a ploy to lure him down south? He was actually quite far from home now and that might have been the point.

“Could someone be looking to attack my home?” he wondered and then he gasped. “Kikyo!” 

-8-8-8-8-

Kikyo rested in bed while thinking about the job she was doing in her husband’s absence. She felt she was doing an adequate job of taking care of the castle without Sesshomaru being around. Whenever she was not sure what to do, some of the most trusted and loyal vassals would offer up some advice, which was all well and good. She had learned more about which servants were loyal to her and which thought Sesshomaru was a fool for bringing a human woman into the castle. It was important information. Still, she hoped her husband returned soon.

Suddenly, she felt a presence in the room with her, causing her to open her eyes. She shot up from bed and tried to grab for her weapons, but was tackled by someone she could sense was a demon before she could manage anything. Another assailant quickly bound the priestess’ hands before she had a chance to purify them. They gagged her once they were certain her hands were secure around her back and then they tied her ankles together. They exited the room with her after throwing a white dust around the room.

Kikyo was carried out into the woods and flung haphazardly into the back of a wagon. She turned and saw Rin was laying in the wagon. The child was bound and gagged also. Rin wiggled over to Kikyo and rested against her for reassurance that everything would be all right despite the fact that they were being abducted. Rin reminded herself that nothing could hurt her if she was with one of her parents and the determined look in Kikyo’s chocolate eyes did not lead the girl to think otherwise. Kikyo was not sure who was behind the kidnapping, but she was certain that they were going to pay.

-8-8-8-8-

Next time: The reason why a person shouldn’t kidnap Kikyo and Rin.


	9. Chapter 9

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, I don’t own Sesshomaru, Kikyo, or Rin. Enjoy the fic anyway.

Chapter 9

Kikyo and Rin were still bound as they were dragged into a castle. They were taken into a room where Kikyo was flung roughly at the feet of the lord in charge. Rin whimpered because of the treatment of her mother, but the priestess hardly made a noise from the impact with the wood. Kikyo sensed the aura of the lord. He was a demon and then she looked up when she realized that she knew this aura.

“You,” Kikyo hissed venomously as she beheld the Lord Itachi. She would curse this weasel bastard until the day that she died if he dared harm Rin. Should he hurt her child in any way, his life would not even be measurable in minutes.

“Good to see you, Lady Kikyo,” Itachi said with a proud, sinister smirk on his thin face. It seemed in her opinion that he was unaware he just signed his own death warrant. If she did not kill him, Sesshomaru certainly would.

“What do you want?” she demanded. She was fairly certain she would kill him and get home before Sesshomaru even knew they were gone.

Itachi smirked even wider. “Nothing much, just those lovely western lands,” he informed her.

“And you think stealing me and Rin will get you such a foolish dream? You are quite the weak-willed fool. I had no idea people came as stupid as you,” she commented. _Sesshomaru was so right about these weasel demons_. 

Itachi growled because of the insult. He leaned down and slapped the raven-haired priestess with enough force to bruise her cheek. Kikyo hardly made a noise when the blow landed. She was moved back because of the power he put into the hit.

“Don’t hit my mother!” Rin ordered, struggling to get to Kikyo. She held back by one of the kidnappers. Grunting, she tried to tear away, but found she was not strong enough. She wished she knew how to channel her spiritual energy through her hands like Kikyo because if she did, man, she would put a hurting on all of the demons right now.

“Now, Lady Kikyo, since you know what I want, I’ll tell you how you can help me attain my dreams,” Itachi said.

“You want my help?” Kikyo asked incredulously. The lord had to simply be out of his mind if he thought that she would assist him in any way, shape, or form. She would never betray her dearest Sesshomaru. Never.

“I do. I want you to purify Sesshomaru.”

Kikyo could not help laughing. He wanted her to purify Sesshomaru? Oh, the man had to be completely out of his ever-loving mind. He had to be totally, utterly, stark raving mad. He would have to kill her before she considered doing anything for him.

“Why are you laughing, priestess?” Itachi demanded with a snarl, thinking she was mocking him.

“I assumed that you were telling a joke,” she replied. “I know I found it quite humorous.”

Itachi growled again because the woman was not taking him seriously. He considered striking her once more, but that did not seem to affect her, so he decided on something else. He motioned to one of his guards with his hand and the demon brought Rin to the lord. Itachi yanked the girl to him and then flung her to his wife’s feet. Rin grunted a bit upon landing.

“What a cute child,” Kaori said. She sat right behind her husband, wearing her usual flamboyant kimono.

“Leave Rin alone,” Kikyo ordered in a very calm tone, which should have served as a warning to anyone thinking about injuring her daughter.

Lady Kaori leaned down and grabbed the child by the neck. Rin whimpered while the demon woman put her painted claws to the girl’s throat. Kaori then turned her eyes to stare at Kikyo and she smirked wickedly at the priestess.

“My claws are just like Sesshomaru’s, extremely poisonous. It is not a peaceful death to die by my claws, choking to death as the venom burns through your veins. If you continue to be stubborn, then I guess I will just have to slay your child,” Kaori informed the bound priestess with a carefree shrug.

“If you kill my daughter, not only will you no longer have any leverage against me, but I will have no choice to kill you. All of you,” Kikyo riposted easily. The look in her eyes was not that of a frightened mother, but of a determined, wrathful warrior. She wished these weasels would do something so ignorant as to murder Rin in front of her because she would slaughter every weasel demon in the territory after that.

Itachi noticed the look in Kikyo’s cocoa eyes and he gulped, knowing he might be looking his death in the face. The priestess’ body backed up the expression in her eyes. Her heart rate had not accelerated from nervousness, nor did her body go rigid from fear. Kikyo did not waver in any way to show she did not mean her words. She would kill them all.

“I’ll give you some time to think about it,” Itachi said to Kikyo. Her expression did not change. 

-8-8-8-8-

Sesshomaru returned home as quickly as possible, Jakken whining the whole way and wanting to know what was happening. Sesshomaru did not respond because he did not know what was going on. He was just certain it had something to do with him being away from home.

By the time Sesshomaru made it home, it was nighttime by the time. The first place he went was Rin’s room. He worried more about Rin than Kikyo for the simple fact that Rin was a little girl and Kikyo was a grown, trained, and powerful priestess.

The dog demon discovered Rin’s room was empty. He growled as he tried to catch the scent of her or anyone else that might have been in the room. He could not smell anything at all, though. It was like the room was sterile. Instead of assuming the worst immediately, he considered Rin might be sleeping in the room with Kikyo. There were a couple of times when Rin liked to crawl into bed with them and just reassure herself that she was not alone, that she was cared for, and there were people that adored her. He did not understand it himself, but it was Rin, so he allowed it.

Sesshomaru turned and headed to his bedroom. He did not like that he was not picking up any signs of life from his chambers. He did not hear any breathing and he had not caught Kikyo’s scent. When he made it to the room, he saw that it was as empty as a fresh grave. The same sterile smell that coated Rin’s bedroom was glazed over his chambers like honey on a pastry, which lead him to know that someone tried to mask their scent.

“I am going to personally tear out the spines of anyone that was involved in this,” Sesshomaru quietly decided.

The silver-haired male sniffed around his room, but he did not find a hint of who had stolen his wife and child. He decided to go outside to scan the area for Kikyo’s or Rin’s scent. He locked onto that sterile smell, but it went in several directions. _That’s clever_ , he thought, but whoever had done such a thing was not clever enough. Through the annoying sterilized scent, he could smell his wife and child. They seemed to have worked up a sweat, struggling against their kidnappers undoubtedly. He took off in the direction that his mate and child were taken. 

-8-8-8-8-

Kikyo and Rin were left bound in a cell with stonewalls. The dungeon was more than likely a cave that was left when the castle was built. Rin curled up next to her mother for assurance that everything would be fine. Kikyo hummed softly to help ease Rin’s nerves. The priestess guessed they would be left there until Itachi could think of a better threat, a better way to use Rin against her. She would rather not be there when he came up with a good idea, or at least she would rather have her hands free.

“Are you all right, now, Rin-chan?” Kikyo asked quietly.

“Uh-huh,” the child answered. She was a bit shaken because she knew those weasels wanted to use her to get her mother to hurt her father.

“Then you’re going to have to free your hands.”

“Okay.”

“I have an arrow hidden in my yukata. If you move your hands to your front, then you should be able to reach it.”

Rin nodded. The child happened to be double-jointed, but the men that tired her ropes did not know that. She easily held her hands over her head and moved them to her chest. She then turned to Kikyo.

“The arrow is at my left side,” the adult said. She was a bit paranoid sleeping alone in the castle, which was why she had the arrow tucked away in her nightclothes. She had been sleeping with bow at her side and an entire quiver of arrows at the other side. When those ninjas grabbed her, they did not give her time to gather her weapons. The arrow was the last resort and she had not even had the chance to use that.

Rin reached into her mother’s yukata and Kikyo jumped. Rin pulled her hands back. “Did I do something wrong?” the child asked.

“No, your hands are just cold. I didn’t brace myself for it,” Kikyo explained with a reassuring smile.

The girl nodded and reached back into the yukata. She quickly discovered the arrow. She liberated the weapon and did not need to be told to work her hands free of the ropes. It took a while since the ropes were thick and tied around a third of her forearms. She then cut her feet free before working on her mother’s bonds.

“What now, Mommy?” Rin inquired.

“Let’s see if we can get the guard’s attention and hopefully have him open the door. Sit back down as if you’re still tied up,” Kikyo instructed the girl.

Rin nodded, wondering what her mother had planned. She sat back down at Kikyo’s side. She curled her legs behind her to hide the fact that her feet were no longer bound. Kikyo put her hands behind her to keep up the illusion that her hands were together.

“Excuse me,” Kikyo called to the door, knowing there was someone nearby. She sensed a demon, but he actually seemed to be a bit far for a guard. It took a moment for him to respond.

“What?” he huffed.

“My daughter is cold. Might she have a blanket?” Kikyo requested.

“No,” he answered plainly.

Kikyo chuckled a bit and shook her head. She glanced down at Rin, who appeared to be wondering what they would do now since the guard was not coming. The priestess smiled to show that she had other ways of getting the guard to open the door.

“Excuse me,” Kikyo called again after a few minutes.

“What now?” the guard asked in a gruff tone.

“My yukata is coming undone. Please, could you fix it for me, so that I might avoid becoming sick?” she requested.

“What?” he inquired to be certain that he had heard correctly.

“My yukata is coming undone. Please, could you fix it for me,” she repeated. Apparently, she had gotten his attention with that.

Rin looked up at her mother with her eyebrows curled up and her forehead wrinkled. Kikyo shook her head as a response as if telling the girl not to think on it. These were not matters Rin needed to understand for a few more years.

The door opened seconds later and a typical weasel demon entered the room. He smirked when he saw that Kikyo had not been lying about her yukata. Rin had loosened it by accident when reaching for the arrow. The demon began grinning like a pervert when he saw the curve of her milky breast was visible.

“Mommy,” Rin said when the guard started reaching for the exposed flesh.

“It’s all right, Rin,” Kikyo assured the child.

Kikyo knew the child was worried about the lewd demon actually touching her, but that was not in the plan. Only one man would ever touch her so intimately and that man certainly was not with them at the moment. Kikyo took hold of the guard’s wrist like a striking viper. He only had a chance to gasp in surprise before her powers were circulating through his system. She shoved him away from her when he went limp. She climbed to her feet and Rin followed suit.

“Getting out of here isn’t going to be so easily,” Kikyo muttered because she knew almost all castles were built like mazes to confuse enemies and people that did not belong. She had to do something, though, because she refused to wait for that lunatic Itachi to think of some way to use Rin against her.

Kikyo fixed her yukata as she walked to the door to see if she could plot the course that they had taken when being brought into the room. Rin busied herself by grabbing any small, loose pebbles in the room. Kikyo was pretty sure she recalled the route that they had taken, so she was confident to leave the room and make a run for it.

“Rin, come and make sure that you stay behind me,” Kikyo cautioned the child.

“Yes, ma’am,” the little girl answered. 

-8-8-8-8-

Sesshomaru arrived at the end of the trail. He scowled when he saw where he was standing. _I will personally skin and behead this ignorant bastard Itachi_. He would not even use Toukijin when he did it, he would behead that skinny bastard with his claws. He would then use Toukijin’s energy to destroy all traces of Itachi’s filthy body. Yes, that seemed like a very accepted arrangement. So, now all he had to do was reach that dead man, but, before that, he had to save his favorite ladies.

The dog demon moved about the castle searching for some hint of Kikyo or Rin. He stalked through the castle as if he was the shadow of death itself. It did not take long for guards to take note of him and attack him like intruder he was. Sesshomaru calmly countered the attack with the Toukijin. He cut down anyone that came to battle him.

“You’re all fools to throw your lives away for this coward you call a lord,” Sesshomaru said as he cut down another wave of guards. 

-8-8-8-8-

Kikyo and Rin’s escape was no longer as quiet as it had been when they started out. Apparently, they were to be taken alive because none of the guards that came at them attempted to draw a sword. Rin and Kikyo had been using the rocks that the girl had picked up as weapons. They did not use the stones in any ordinary sense. They charged the pebbles with spiritual energy like they would with arrows. The rocks turned into deadly projectiles in the hands of Kikyo and Rin.

By the time the two humans made it to a courtyard, they were out of stones. The guards seemed to think that since the females were out of ammo that meant that they were helpless. But, they were just as dangerous without weapons as they were with them. The demons were careful around Kikyo, knowing a simple touch from her could mean their demise. They tried to go for Rin and that turned out to be just as bad an idea.

The little girl was trained in several forms self-defense, both hand-to-hand and weapons, and she was no slouch in the areas. Those were about the only things she thought were fun that her tutors taught her. She could hit with enough force to daze her opponents, letting Kikyo have enough time to get hold of the stunned men. Kikyo finished off whatever Rin started. They continued their flight, but after a few minutes of running, Kikyo realized they were not going the right way. Everything just looked alike. Castle architects were sadists, she was certain of that. 

-8-8-8-8-

Sesshomaru could smell his wife and daughter very clearly. He could even sense some panic from them, so he knew they were very close. He was done playing around then. His eyes bled over crimson and his teeth grew. He transformed into his giant dog form and ripped through everything in sight to find his family. 

-8-8-8-8-

Rin noticed a white blur in the sky out of the corner of her eye for a brief moment. It looked like a tail tip to her. She turned to her mother, hoping to get her attention and direct her toward the snow-colored blur. Kikyo was a bit busy though, protecting the girl and Rin saw the tail again.

“Daddy?” Rin wondered and then saw the tail a third time. “Daddy!” the child hollered in joy.

Sesshomaru, having very good hearing, heard Rin’s shout. He rushed to where her voice was, tearing down anything in his way and his acidic saliva melted anything on his sides. Everything in his wake was either stomped or dissolved and he could care less than nothing. He made it to Kikyo and Rin as they were being backed down a dead-end.

The dog demon changed back into his human form, silent as an ant while doing so. He then charged into the group of guards, cutting them all down without hesitating. Many of them did not even have time to gasp.

“Sesshomaru,” Kikyo said in a slightly stunned voice. She had been too busy with the weasel demons to sense his presence at all.

“Beloved,” Sesshomaru greeted her in his usual tone.

“Daddy!” Rin cheered and she charged him to leap into his arms. Sesshomaru grunted when her weight landed on him.

“She is happy?” Sesshomaru asked Kikyo, just to be sure.

“Of course,” she answered with a small smile.

“Itachi was behind this?” he inquired, again just to be sure. There was always a chance his wife acted without his consent.

“Yes,” she confirmed.

Sesshomaru frowned. He would get that coward and end him. First, he was going to do some very unspeakable things to that man. No one, but no one played around with the great dog demon like that grubby, little weasel worm. 

-8-8-8-8-

Next time: Sesshomaru and Kikyo have a moment before being interrupted by more enemies. Can’t these two catch a break!


	10. Chapter 10

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I don’t own Sesshomaru, Kikyo, or Rin. Seriously, I don’t.

Chapter 10

Silence gripped Sesshomaru’s castle as night covered the land. His servants had not even been aware that their Lady and Rin had gone missing, but when Sesshomaru returned to the castle with his family, the servants tried to celebrate his return. He was in no mood. He retired to a sitting room and had not come out all day.

Kikyo would have followed him, but she needed to make sure Rin was all right first. She made sure the child ate and then tried to get her right back into her routine. She did not want to give Rin a moment to realize what happened just yet. When it was all over, they could talk about it and see if Rin was traumatized, but for now, she wanted to make things seem normal for Rin.

One of the reasons Sesshomaru had disappeared for the day was because he knew Kikyo would take care of Rin. She was a good mother. So good that she barely needed him to rescue her from Itachi. He was fairly certain she would have made it back to his castle on her own, probably just a few hours later than they did together. He had picked a good mate.

He brooded in the room, glaring at the same wall for over fourteen hours. His nostrils flared with each exhale and a snarl tugged at his lips. He was more than vexed by the fact that Itachi escaped him and thus was still alive. He had fled his castle while Sesshomaru took care of his minions. The dog demon was frustrated and the only thing that would sate his irritation would be to find Itachi and split him open vertically. He was fairly certain that was the only thing that would relax his tense body and aggravated mind for the moment.

“Beloved,” Kikyo murmured as she sat behind Sesshomaru.

“Yes?” he asked, even though he was aware that she was going to try to loosen him up. All day long she kept going about how he needed to calm down because being worked up would not accomplish anything. He did not want to calm down, though. He wanted Itachi’s blood on his fingers.

“You’ve been in here the whole day. Why must you allow things to fester like this?” she asked, breath on his ear. She knew he was aware how long he had been in the room, even though there were not windows and the only door opened to the hall.

“I don’t…” he trailed off, slightly distracted by her proximity.

“You don’t?” she asked because she knew he was not finished answering her question. _I am affecting him. I just have to continue on and maybe he’ll relax enough not to kill himself thinking about that stupid weasel. Once he relaxes, he’ll be able to think clearly and figure out where Itachi is hiding_.

Sesshomaru ground his teeth together briefly. “I don’t like the fact that a man that had the gall to kidnap you and Rin is still free and capable of walking and talking. He might try it again.”

“We were merely caught by surprise. We underestimated him, but we won’t again,” she pointed out. She was done playing around with those weasels. Should one show his thin face anywhere in the castle for any reason, she would slay him without delay.

“No, we won’t,” he concurred, but he was not totally agreeing with her and she knew that.

“It was not your fault,” she pointed out.

“You are my responsibility.”

“And you are mine. Rin is as well,” she reminded him.

Sesshomaru did not respond. Kikyo disliked her husband being so tense because of her mistake. She had been the one that allowed those weasels into the castle and she had let her guard down enough for them to take her captive. She had to do something to take his mind off of her miscalculation.

She reached out, almost hesitating, but continued on. She wrapped her arms around his chest and pressed herself against his back. He was astounded by her actions and she could tell because of the way that his body tightened for just a moment. He was not used to her being so forward.

“Kikyo,” he breathed out the name.

Kikyo tended to be shy around Sesshomaru, even now. He was the one who usually teased her with lights touches and initiated contact between them. He often thought she feared offending him in some manner, as if she was unsure of how he wanted to be touched and she did not desire to take the risk, perhaps afraid of making things worse somehow. Of course, this was a ridiculous fear.

He smiled a bit because she could be a bit silly sometimes. He doubted there was a way for her to offend him. He put his clawed hand on her smaller ones and sighed contently as she rubbed her cheek into his shoulder. Taking his noise as a good sign, Kikyo continued to caress him.

The dog demon began to make small whimpering sounds as his wife’s hands moved around his body, stroking him softly, tenderly, almost bashfully. The touching was simple, almost innocent, but it was wonderful and soothing. It took a couple of minutes, but Sesshomaru forgot what had been bothering him completely while Kikyo moved her body against his back. He knew his problem had something to do with his wife and child, but with his beloved creating friction against him, it was difficult to focus on anything aside from her. Was she trying to distract him? He could not recall if that had been her original plan.

“Beloved…” Sesshomaru breathed the simple word out.

“Yes?” Kikyo asked.

“What was I doing before you came in here?” he inquired.

“What does it matter? I’m here now and you’re going to pay attention to me,” she replied.

He arched an eyebrow. “I am?”

“Are you not?” she asked skeptically. She was fully aware that she had his complete attention. _I have to do this more often. He is enjoying it. I can touch him and give him all sorts of pleasure from something rather simple. Plus, I like it as well. He feels so good_. She pressed herself more firmly into his back and massaged his shoulders.

Sesshomaru only whimpered again as she rubbed up against his back. Kikyo was encouraged by the noise coming from him and she thought she might try to assert herself a bit more because he liked her to be more active in their physical relationship and this confirmed it. She figured as long as she was being assertive and trying to get him to relax, she might as well explore his body and try to make herself comfortable with touching him.

Kikyo moved her right hand to his chest and into his haori. She touched his flesh and he inhaled sharply, clearly not expecting such, even if it was fairly innocent. She moved her hand over his heart. She could feel his heart beating under her palm as well as hear it because she had her head against her back. He felt so good, she noted in the back of her mind. She typically did not take the time to just feel him. _I really should do this more often. I could learn to enjoy this greatly_.

The raven-haired woman would never say so out loud, but she was generally very nervous with Sesshomaru when they were physically affectionate. She never focused on herself, only him, hoping he enjoyed what was happening. She always thought she might do something to his disliking, so she put her all into making sure not to make a mistake. It left her not doing much because she was too anxious. She just was not experienced in the matter and felt it would be best if she did not try to do anything.

 _What if I make a mistake now_ , she wondered? She stopped moving, gripped by her usual anxiety now. She did not want to ruin this moment for him. She wanted him to turn around and take control of the situation before she spoiled everything.

“Keep going,” Sesshomaru insisted because she had paused too long at his heart for his liking. He wanted to see where she was going with her newfound freedom.

She laughed a bit. Apparently, he had totally forgotten what he was fuming about not even ten minutes ago. She had to be doing a good job, then. Her confidence blossomed further. She definitely would have to do this more often.

She eased his haori from his torso. He remained perfectly still as her fingers shyly roamed his bare, pale chest. _He’s so smooth_. He wanted to tell her more, but he thought that might startle her and then she would stop, which he seriously would detest. He figured that what was going on right now was a true test of his self-control.

Kikyo wondered what she was supposed to do when touching him with her hands was not enough. She barely noticed her body began gently grinding against him, but when she did, she realized it was not enough. She wanted more, but she was not sure how to go about it. Suddenly, being chaste until she was married seemed overreacted and she wished she had experience to draw from. _Would Sesshomaru have wanted me if I were not chaste? Does it matter now, as I was and now I am completely clueless in how to please him? What to do?_

Kikyo searched her mind for hints. What would her husband do? What did he generally do? Oh, yes, now she remembered what he did when his hands were not enough anymore. She tentatively brushed her lips against his bare shoulder blades. His breath nearly hitched, but he remained still to avoid bothering her in any way. It took almost all of his self-control, especially as he felt her hips moving against her back. He really wanted her to continue if she was going to bring her mouth into matters. The next touch of her lips was a bit bolder and soon the touches were kisses. She kissed all over his back and then began wondering what she should do next.

 _What would Sesshomaru do_ , Kikyo asked herself. He would have probably pounced on her by now, she considered, amusing herself with that thought. After that, he would probably literally tear her clothing off. Well, she was not about to just jump on him and she was not about to tear his clothing off. She desired to just keep experiencing him and hopefully distracting him from his anger. So, what now? _I know_.

Sesshomaru gasped slightly when he felt what she was doing next. He could not help himself because she had just planted a wet kiss on his neck and allowed her tongue to linger for a long moment, as if she had tasted him. He had not expected something like that from her. She halted her actions when he gasped.

“Sesshomaru?” she asked in an unsure voice.

“Keep going,” he encouraged her.

Kikyo nodded and she kissed his neck again. She sat up a bit after his neck was not enough. She kissed his cheek and he took the hint to turn his head to allow her to kiss his mouth. Now that he moved, his self-control was done. Kikyo was about to be pounced on and she was not expecting it. She actually yelped when he turned the tables, gathered her in his arms, and kissed her senseless.

She surrendered herself to his hands, lips, and tongue. He rolled them over, putting her on her back. She wrapped her arms around his neck, pulling him closer. He purred from this and leaned against her, wanting to feel her against his body. Unfortunately, her clothes were in the way.

“Sesshomaru…” she panted, pulling away to catch her breath.

“I need you right now. But, do you think you could continue touching me?” he requested.

“I…”

“Just what you were already doing. Nothing more.”

Kikyo managed a nod. She could do that. She wanted to do that. Sesshomaru smirked and kissed her again, all the while stripping her of her clothing and taking off the rest of his own. She managed to keep her word, touching him as he touched her. 

-8-8-8-8-

The dog demon lay perfectly still in bed with Kikyo was curled up next to him. She was contemplating sleep, but it appeared that he was going to stay awake, so she decided to do the same, even though her eyes were starting to burn. She hoped he was not thinking about Lord Itachi again because if he was, then she was going to have to distract him again. It took a lot of energy to distract him.

“Do you smell that?” Sesshomaru asked out of the blue. Kikyo inhaled slightly.

“Smoke?” she asked in a puzzled tone and furrowed brow.

“Yes.”

“Do you think there’s a fire?” she inquired because if there was, then they had to get to their daughter posthaste.

He shook his head. “No, this is a different type of smoke. Get dressed.”

Kikyo nodded because she could sense what her husband meant. The smoke scent was being accompanied by several demonic auras. She dressed quickly as did Sesshomaru. They both armed themselves just in time. Five men appeared in the room as soon as the couple had their weapons in hand. The men were dressed in black, but did not seem to be completely tangible, as puffs of black seemed to waft off of them.

“Smoke demons,” Sesshomaru said with a snarl on his lip while shaking his head. They made such horrible ninja despite being able to appear and vanish at will. They smelled too strongly of smoke. They could not even sneak up on humans because of the stench.

“What do you want?” Kikyo demanded, glaring at the intruders. She was sick of people sneaking into her home, into her bedroom.

“Your life,” one of the intruders answered.

Sesshomaru decided that he heard enough just from those two words. He attacked using the Toukijin, disregarding the fact that he was in own bedroom. The blade went right through the ninja without harming him. _Damn all creatures made of mist_ , the demon lord thought with a frown.

Three of the ninjas approached Kikyo. She quickly armed her bow and released an arrow; she seemed to care just as much as Sesshomaru that they were currently in their sleeping chambers. The projectile went through one of the ninjas; his body dispersed like a cloud as the missile sailed through it. He snickered as his body reformed.

“You can’t stop me that way,” he informed Kikyo. 

“Are you certain?” she inquired because there was a hole in his solid body where her arrow had gone through.

“What the hell?” he gasped when he took note of his wound.

Kikyo quickly reloaded her bow and unleashed another arrow at the injured intruder. Before she could launch another missile, one of the ninja tackled her. She barely grunted from the hit. She grabbed him by the shoulders as he aimed a thin, needle shuriken at her throat. She shocked him with her spiritual energy while the third ninja pulled out a short sword. He was about to impale the priestess with his blade until he felt something cold pass through his stomach. He gasped as he looked down to see the point of Toukijin protruding from his gut.

Sesshomaru knew the ninja he stabbed was about to say something smart, but he did not want to hear it. He did not give the ninja a chance to open his mouth and utter any condescending last words. Toukijin’s malevolent power surged through the blade and completely disintegrated the smoke demon. Apparently, Toukinjin was not as useless against the smoke demons as they would have liked it to be.

The dog demon turned around as he was done with the third ninja to pay attention to the last two. Kikyo quickly climbed to her feet and armed her bow. Kikyo fired an arrow at one ninja while Sesshomaru cut down the other. The couple then turned the each other and then they were struck by the same thought.

“Rin,” they gasped simultaneously.

The couple charged out of their room and hurried to Rin’s quarters. They were aware Rin was all right before they even got to the room because they could not sense any anything aside from her in the room, but they still wanted to be sure. They discovered the girl laid out in a dead sleep with her pet kitten sleeping just as hard on her chest. Kikyo smiled a bit at the scene.

It was clear Rin was fine, but Kikyo still leaned down to make sure. She fixed the blanket covering Rin and brushed the girl’s hair out of her face. Kissing the child’s forehead, Kikyo climbed back to her feet.

“It would appear that they just attacked us,” Kikyo sighed in relief, putting a hand to her chest to calm her nerves.

“Or perhaps…” Sesshomaru trailed off, glancing at his wife.

She turned to him with an arched eyebrow. “Or?”

“Perhaps they just attacked you,” he said because the ninjas had not even gone at him. They had gone directly for Kikyo.

“This is true. I seem to be the cause for many nighttime visits. Why try to kill me, though? Before, when Itachi kidnapped us, it was because he wanted me to kill you,” Kikyo reported.

Sesshomaru put his hand on her back and led her out of the room. “This is becoming rather irksome because smoke demons only act out assassinations for one lord.”

“That lord is not Itachi, is it?” she asked.

“No.”

“Then what is to be done?”

“We shall have to pay the lord a visit,” he replied and she merely nodded in agreement. They needed to end this. 

-8-8-8-8-

Next time: Sesshomaru and Kikyo go to find out just what is going on and why someone would send assassins after Kikyo.


	11. Chapter 11

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I don’t own Sesshomaru, Kikyo, or Rin. Seriously.

Chapter 11

The trip to find out why assassins had attacked Kikyo was very long, which was about all Rin and Kikyo could think about after a while. Sesshomaru did not seem to notice how much of a journey it was, having a different type of endurance altogether compared to the humans with him. His major concern was saving his wife’s life anyway, so he would not care if he had to travel to the other side of the moon because he would do that for her.

“This is how it was before you,” Rin said to Kikyo. They had brought the child along because they felt she was safest with them. They did not want to give their enemies a chance to capture their child and use Rin against them.

“What do you mean?” she asked.

“We just moved. Every day. Some place new. We didn’t go this fast and we stopped if I got tired, but it was like this.”

Kikyo nodded. “Do you miss it?”

Rin took her mother’s hand and grinned, which was the best answer she could give. “I like this best, with you and at home,” she added.

“I like this best as well,” Kikyo assured her. Rin’s grin widened.

There was not much conversation beyond that. Kikyo and Rin did their best to keep up with Sesshomaru. Sesshomaru did not say anything at all, which they expected. He was focused, only glancing back when his ladies fell far behind. He would wait, but then he would get ahead of them again.

The Lord that they had to see had a castle that was even more grandiose than Sesshomaru’s ancient home. The family was allowed in the castle with no problem, as they were expected. It was when they were being taken to see the Lord that a problem came up. At first, the guards were not going to allow Kikyo in to sit with the Lord. Apparently it had nothing to do with her being a woman or even a priestess. The Lord simply disliked interacting with humans in general.

“It would be better for all and much safer for every demon in this castle if Kikyo were to remain with me. If she is on her own and with you, she will spend her time fretting about our daughter and any nervous twitch from a nearby person could mean death,” Sesshomaru explained calmly to the guards.

They seemed to take his words under serious consideration. They looked at her, taking in her deadpan, yet still stern expression. Then, they looked at Rin, who stood close to Kikyo, partially hiding behind her legs. They decided to believe him.

“The child can be looked after. It would be inappropriate for her to sit with the Lord,” one of the guards stated.

Sesshomaru glanced down at Rin, who looked up at Kikyo and then at Sesshomaru. Both parents gave her slight nods. Rin nodded back and smiled a bit.

“Be careful with her,” Kikyo warned as a female demon showed up.

“I will take the best of care of her,” the demon woman promised.

Rin was left with a female demon, who offered her hand. Rin took it with no problem and the demon woman seemed a bit shocked by that, obviously thinking a human child would need more coaxing in trusting a demon. Rin was more comfortable around demons than humans anyway. The demon put a gentle hand on Rin’s shoulder.

“Would you like to go and have some cake?” the demon woman proposed with a pleasant smile, which was all Rin needed to hear.

Rin nodded enthusiastically. “Yes, please.” Her parents sometimes feared that someone offering her endless cake would kidnap her. Kikyo did not concern herself with Rin going off with the servant because Sesshomaru did not appear bothered by it. But, they both watched as their daughter was taken away.

The couple were then led to a room and sat formally while waiting for the Lord. The room was decorated with sea scenes on the walls and there was only a small table in the middle. Incense burned in the corner, leaving a pleasant scent in the room. The couple did not speak to each other or even look at each other. They focused their eyes forward and bowed deeply when the Lord finally entered the room.

The Lord was a towering figure, taller than Sesshomaru by almost a head. He appeared to be a powerfully built man with a big belly. He had long white hair along with a matching beard. One of his pointed ears looked like someone had bitten him. Two women, who did not even seem to notice the guests, accompanied him and one sat to his right and the other to his left. The giant male sat down and stared at the couple. He had ruby-colored eyes that seemed to glare right through them.

“Lord Kenryoku,” Sesshomaru greeted the other lord.

“The little dog demon,” the white-haired male replied with a tiny smile.

Kikyo forced herself not laugh since it was such a serious occasion. She could not force away a smile, though. Come on, he had called Sesshomaru “the little dog demon.” She was only human for crying out loud.

Sesshomaru glanced down at his mate, more than aware that she was laughing at him on the inside. She should know better, he thought. She was aware that he was not little in any way, shape, or form.

“So, what can I do for the little dog demon?” Lord Kenryoku inquired in an all business tone.

“My lord, my home was invaded not too long ago by smoke demon assassins,” Sesshomaru replied.

“Hmm…” Lord Lenryoku stroked his long beard.

“I have come to believe that they were after my wife,” the dog demon continued. He knew the older lord would not play around and pretend that he had nothing to do with it because that was not Kenryoku’s way. If he did not want to be found out and connected to something, he would have used another method.

The white-haired male nodded and then glanced at Kikyo. “She is quite the tiny woman,” he pointlessly noted. “Listen, little dog demon, let’s just get to why you’re here without you respectfully trying to not accuse me outright when we know what everything is. I do have fruits I would like to get back to.”

“As you wish, sir. Why would you wish to slay my mate?” Sesshomaru inquired plainly.

Kenryoku glanced at the silent priestess. He tilted his head slightly to openly expression that he was studying the human. After a few seconds, he turned his attention back to Sesshomaru.

“I do not understand this at all. Why would you do this, Sesshomaru?” the older male asked, motioning to the quiet priestess.

“My choice in mates is my own business, sir,” the dog demon replied. He did not see what that had to do with the lord looking to assassinate his wife.

“This is true.”

“Why did you attempt to slay my wife?” Sesshomaru inquired again. He was sick of everyone wondering what made him do what he did. It was hardly anyone else’s business why he was married to Kikyo. He would rather it remained a mystery because if other males came sniffing after her, there would be hell to pay.

He stroked his beard once more. “I have been told that she reduced a great deal of Itachi’s clan to dust.”

“That she did,” Sesshomaru confirmed.

“And what she left standing, you supposedly made sure was gone from existence.”

“Indeed.” The dog demon wanted to wipe out the memory of those wretched, vile, and utterly foolish creatures that would dare do anything against him and his family.

“But, why should she go unpunished for her actions, especially since I hear that you will be making her do such a thing often?” he inquired, leaning forward just a bit.

“Who would tell such bold-face lies?” the silver-haired demon demanded, even though he could guess who was spreading such fantastic stories. He wondered what other insane tales Itachi had told the older lord. “Why would you even believe such a thing?”

“She has to be punished for her actions,” Kenryoku said casually, as if the dog demon should not care that he desired to murder his wife.

“She was merely defending herself and our daughter,” Sesshomaru informed the older man.

Kenryoku scoffed and then arched an eyebrow. “Your daughter? You haven’t been married long enough to have a daughter.”

This conversation annoyed Sesshomaru, even though it seemed to be going well. He could only wonder if Itachi had been grilled like this when he came in spouting his lies. Kenryoku acted like he knew so much about Sesshomaru’s life, but seemed utterly in the dark about important matters.

“I’ve adopted my ward because my wife and I see the child as our own. Lord Itachi kidnapped them from our home after tempting me from them by having bandits raid one of my weaker territories,” the dog demon explained civilly. It took a lot of willpower to avoid gritting his teeth.

Kenryoku nodded and stroked his beard. “And why would he do a thing like that? What good is she to him?”

“He wished for me to purify Sesshomaru,” Kikyo chimed in, speaking in her usual calm tone. “He tried to use our daughter to force my hand, milord.”

Lord Kenryoku nodded again, focusing on her now. “So, I am expected to believe that you have no malicious intentions?” he asked Kikyo, staring at her intensely with his blood red eyes. She did not falter and he smiled as she answered.

“I merely wish to live as peacefully as possible with my husband and daughter,” she replied. He continued to eye her, as if he could see into her heart and soul to understand if she was being sincere or not. She did not flinch and his attention went back to Sesshomaru.

“Where did you find this woman, little dog demon,” Kenryoku inquired, part intrigued and part amused.

“I wandered across her in my travels or perhaps she wandered across me,” Sesshomaru answered. It was hard to tell, considering they had both been living nomadic lives.

“She’s an odd human, much like that girl in your keep. Perhaps they are related,” the older male remarked, showing he did know about Rin.

Sesshomaru frowned, not nearly amused. “I doubt it.” This was a fishing expedition, he realized. Kenryoku was trying to figure out who was lying to him.

“I knew there was more to Itachi’s claim than what he revealed, but his panic was genuine. His fear of his woman is very real, but why should he not be afraid of a woman that took out most his clan and he has angered her? He truly believes that you plan to use her against other demon lords. This is why I sent my assassins,” Kenryoku explained in a bit of a bored tone. He even waved it all away, as if he had not done something completely overboard.

“She is quite harmless,” Sesshomaru replied. Most of the time, he seemed to forget that he was married to a very powerful woman because she did not try to show her strength in any way. Besides, she was only dangerous for those that tempted her. She would not go around slaughtering demons left and right for no reason at all.

“She is far from harmless. I understand Itachi has reason to fear this woman, but I don’t think anyone else does. As long as no one does her any harm, I can see that she is quite content to be left to her life. I will ask your forgiveness for my rash actions. I didn’t give her much consideration since she is just a human,” the red-eyed lord requested.

“It is quite all right, sir.” Well, actually that was a lie, but Sesshomaru could not do much about it for right now. “Might you tell me where I can find Itachi before he spreads more lies and my bedroom is crawling with ninja of all types?” the younger demon requested.

“He headed north, more than likely staying with your favorite enemy. You should have no problem tracking him,” he replied and looked away for a moment. He then turned back. “Sesshomaru.”

“Sir?” the younger demon asked.

“Perhaps you should be just a bit more open with your marriage. The secrecy will stir up fears and speculations, especially when people find out that she is a priestess. Demons will always question your true motives, especially when you treat her as an equal and toy with them by having her attend meetings.”

“You have heard about that?” He knew Kenryoku knew more than he was pretending to.

“So many people have come crying to me because of that. You have everyone very confused and some of them are spooked. I’ve heard many tales and when Itachi came speaking of this human slaughtering his clan with your blessing, it didn’t seem so farfetched,” Kenryoku informed the platinum-haired demon.

“Sir, what I do is my own business. If anyone wishes to speculate on and act on their false ideas, they will merely suffer our combined wrath,” Sesshomaru replied, motioning to Kikyo. He would not accept any excuse for such behavior. His affairs were his own and his wife had not hurt anyone.

“I would expect no less from you, but perhaps you should consider my words. It could make life easier. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I’d like to get back to my fruit,” Lord Kenryoku informed the couple and then he left them alone in the room.

Sesshomaru and Kikyo rose to their feet. They turned to stare at each other for a moment. They decided against speaking and just went to collect their daughter. The couple practically had to drag Rin away from a pile of sweets and they headed home.

“You are going to go after him, aren’t you?” Kikyo asked Sesshomaru as they made their way back to his lands.

“It is a must or he’ll continue to make powerful demons believe that you’re a plot of some kind against him,” Sesshomaru replied. He carried Rin, who was sleeping peacefully. The journey had been so hard on her that even high on sweets, she could not stay awake.

“I wonder why he would think such a thing in first place.”

Sesshomaru waved the thought away. “He’s a weasel demon. Who knows how their warped minds work aside from other weasel demons. They always assume people are just as sneaky and warped as they are.”

“Yes, this I understand, but I am just one woman. How can he think that I pose a threat to anyone, let alone an entire clan?”

Sesshomaru glanced down at her. “You would stand here and act so modest when I, of all people, know that you are not?” he asked in a slightly amused tone. She was one woman like he was one man. Waves of people could still die by their hands. They were just more likely to die by his hand than hers.

“I still couldn’t take down an entire army of demons. I certainly couldn’t sneak into a castle and take out a demon lord without reason. I also never would,” she pointed out. Powerful she was, but stealth was not on her business record.

“As I said, weasel demons just assume that all people are as sneaky as they are. They don’t use logic when coming to conclusions, except their own. They just spin implausible tales, thinking up what they would do if possible. Obviously, if he could have you, he would try to use you in such a manner, whether you’re capable or not.”

Kikyo nodded. “How can an entire clan be this illogical?”

“I pray we never understand.”

She nodded again. She did not see why Lord Itachi would think she could be used as a weapon. Yes, she could kill large numbers of demons if she was armed, but she failed to see the point in doing such without an excellent reason. There was never a time in her life where she just went out hunting demons. She was a priestess, not a demon slayer. They were two entirely different lifestyles. 

-8-8-8-8-

Kikyo put Rin to bed when they returned home. Rin woke up for just a moment, calling for her kitten. A servant brought Ran in and Rin settled. The child was asleep again within seconds. Kikyo smiled and kissed Rin’s forehead before leaving the room. 

Kikyo went to stand with Sesshomaru in the garden when she sure that Rin was secure. For a few seconds, they just watched the sky. Clouds moved across the moon and stars dotted peeked out from behind the clouds. A soft breeze blew, moving their hair slightly. He took hold of her hand and moved her to where she was in front of him. He rested his head in her soft, ebony hair. He nuzzled her a moment, just enjoying how she felt. 

“I’ll never let anything harm you,” he promised in a whisper. 

“I know,” she replied.

He moved his head to her neck. “I will do this as swiftly as possible, so as not to leave you alone too long.”

Kikyo smiled a bit. “Is that the only reason you’ll do this as swiftly as possible?” she teased, reaching up to caress his smooth cheek.

“Well, I don’t think it’s very appropriate to share my other reasons,” he replied, kissing her neck. 

The priestess shook her head a little bit. Being married to a demon certainly was an entertaining and educational experience. She could only wonder what their union would be like years from then. She planned to be with him for the rest of her life, of course. Would they always be as they were now? She could not wait to find out. She just hoped there was less intrigue in the future. 

-8-8-8-8-

Next time: the conclusion.


	12. Chapter 12

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I don’t own Sesshomaru, Kikyo, or Rin.
> 
> This is the final chapter. Enjoy. Thanks to everybody that read and reviewed this.

Chapter 12

Sesshomaru left his home almost as soon as he arrived to go hunting for that filthy weasel lord that had tried to use his beloved against him, kidnapped his family, and then nearly got his beloved assassinated. He wanted to get this done as soon as possible, so his wife could get a peaceful night’s sleep. Besides, justice needed to served to that lying bastard for trying to get demon nobles to believe Kikyo was a threat.

“And if Kenryoku believed that nonsense enough to send assassins, who knows what demons of lesser intelligence and experience might do,” Sesshomaru growled.

He easily caught Itachi’s scent since he knew what direction the weasel demon went in. He could not even think about what he was going to do when he caught that rat of an aristocrat. He could picture himself doing so many terrible things, but when it all came down to it, they were rather deadly things. That meant he would only be able to do one, maybe two things to the bastard before Itachi passed on to the next life. He had to decide on what was the most agonizing thing that he could possibly do to the other lord without killing him quickly.

“Itachi will be my example when I take my revenge against that simpleton,” Sesshomaru decided.

No other nobleman would be so foolish as to even think about coming after Kikyo after he got through with Itachi. In fact, the whole demon population would have nightmares if just one person considered touching his mate when he was done with the weasel lord. Perhaps he could send a piece of Itachi to every demon around with a little note attached, just so they knew exactly what happened to the weasel. He doubted there was enough of the pompous jackass to go around, though. Maybe he would be able to just send pieces to demon clans and demon lords. It sounded like something he could do.

“They should get the message then.” His wife was off limits.

As Sesshomaru tracked the weasel demon, he realized that more men might be after Kikyo at that very moment. He could not turn around, only hope that she could handle herself, along with the dozens of men that he left orders with that if she was so much as scratched, they should runaway and never look back because he would not tolerate such failure. He still fumed over the fact that his guards had been useless when Itachi broke into the castle. He could only stand so much incompetent, which was really none at all. He would settle those men when he returned.

He believed that Kenryoku would set other lords straight on Kikyo to avoid other demons making attempts on her life. Kenryoku would not want to see so many demons throw their lives away, unless he was going to gain land from it anyway. So, Sesshomaru thought he had some time to stop Itachi from spreading any more lies.

When the dog demon entered the domain of the Lord of the north, he was almost immediately attacked. He had only been in the borders for about five minutes before men assaulted him. He actually expected to be attacked much sooner than that. He wondered if the Lord of the north was going soft.

He and the daimyo of the north detested each other in a very bizarre fashion. It was more of a habit than anything else because he could not recall what they might have done to each other to spark such a strange hatred. Their fathers had despised each other, so it just seemed that the sons inherited the intense loathing with their lands. They tended to avoid and ignore each other more than anything else. War seemed like a pointless matter because neither had anything that the other wanted, not even land. It would only upset the lords in between them as well and those lords were allies of either him or the northern lord.

Sesshomaru made it to the Lord’s castle without a real problem. He felt a bit mocked by the forces that he had been sent against him. It was almost like the Lord wanted those men to die. Of course, that was a possibility. He calmly entered the castle and easily made his way straight to the man in charge.

“Sesshomaru,” the daimyo said as the dog demon entered the room he was taking his afternoon meal. “Of course you would arrive while I’m eating,” he commented with a smile. “Such poor manners on your part.”

He appeared to be a bit younger than Sesshomaru, looking like a teenager. He had a complexion close to the color of clay. A white, five-pointed star was centered on his forehead. His head was crowned with shoulder length, curly black hair. His lips were painted crimson and curled into a tiny smile. He wore black hakama, but nothing on his top, showing off a muscular physique. Light marks traced his ribs.

In the corner, three women played string instruments, plucking out a soft, sorrowful tune. The Lord smiled a bit at his “guest” before finishing off the food in his mouth. Sesshomaru looked around, waiting for an ambush that did not come.

“Kemuri,” Sesshomaru replied in his usual tone. It did not sound like he detested the other lord at all. Kemuri might as well have been any other person, any other person Sesshomaru really did not want to deal with.

“You got here much faster than I thought. I had hoped to be done dining, so you could get my full attention,” the lord, Kemuri commented as if he was amused. He sounded almost like a little boy when he spoke. His voice was also calm like the silver-haired demon in his presence.

Sesshomaru’s face did not change. “Those men that met me?” Surely Kemuri did not think those men would hold him off.

The younger lord waved the question off. “Merely criminals who would have been pardoned had they slain you.”

“Interesting execution style,” Sesshomaru muttered. It was too elaborate for his taste.

“I’m sure it was most interesting to see. I should have come out, but like I said, I had hopes of finishing my food,” the younger noble replied with his smile still in place. He took a small bite from his meal.

“I’m here for Itachi,” the dog demon stated. He knew if he stood there and actually spoke with Kemuri nothing would get done. The younger lord was good for running his mouth about nothing at all. The sound of his own voice seemed to entertain him just as much as carnage seemed to.

“My uncle told me that you’d be coming for him. He is somewhat of a guest, though, and I couldn’t just hand him over to you, even though he has worn out his welcome, as weasels always do. Shall we fight for him?” Kemuri proposed in a very lighthearted tone, pointing his chopsticks at the dog demon. His voice belied the deadly and murderous demon that he was.

Sesshomaru’s face did not change. “I don’t have time for that.” He did not want to fight Kemuri. This was not some game to him as it was to Kemuri.

“Oh, how sad,” Kemuri sighed and put his chin in his free hand for a moment, utterly pouting, as if he was disappointed and then suddenly he shot forward.

He charged Sesshomaru while drawing his sword, which was at his side. He was on the dog demon in a flash and he certainly would have cut down most other demons. They clashed swords and the metal on metal sang out. Kemuri smiled wider, revealing his rather long fangs. He let loose a haunting chuckle and Sesshomaru growled.

“Tell me about the woman,” the clay-skinned lord demanded. His voice was now more of a snarl than a childish tone, as his blade pressed against the Toukijin.

“She is my mate,” Sesshomaru answered while standing his ground. He could feel Kemuri trying to push him back, but he would never give ground. If push came to shove, he would behead Keumri if it meant keeping Kikyo safe.

“Is she such a dangerous priestess?” the younger demon pressed.

“She is a priestess,” the dog demon confirmed.

“Will she slaughter us all?”

“I’m sure she would have done that before we wed if she was. Besides, why would she marry a demon if she wished to slay demons?” Sesshomaru pointed out.

“My uncle allowed her in his presence?”

“He did.”

Kemuri continued to grin like a delighted devil and then he leaped back just as suddenly as he had come forward. He sheathed his sword as he went back to his seat. Sesshomaru returned Toukijin to his side. Kemuri kept his attention on his unwanted guest, still looking very amused, like a pyromaniac that started a new fire. He picked up another bit of food and ate for a moment.

“Now that you bring it up, why should a human priestess want to marry you of all demons? Is she insane?” Kemuri taunted him.

“Where is Itachi?” Sesshomaru inquired, still not interested in this game.

“I released him into the woods. I thought that it would be fun to see you hunt him down,” the younger lord answered with a giggle. His eyes shined brightly at the thought.

“You’re a strange boy,” Sesshomaru commented. The sooner he got out this boy’s presence, the better.

“At least I’m not married to a human priestess,” Kemuri countered with a shrug before eating some more.

Sesshomaru rolled his eyes and turned to leave. As much as he disliked Kemuri, he had to admit that the little sadist was as hospitable as to be expected. He was also quite reasonable. Now if only he was a bit saner, they might actually be able to get along. Get along as far as anyone could get along with Sesshomaru anyway.

“Kemuri, did you believe him?” Sesshomaru asked without turning around.

“Does it matter?” Kemuri countered.

Sesshomaru looked over his shoulder at the other lord. “Did you?”

There was another shrug and a giggle. “I had no reason to. I merely entertained him. Besides, would it not be interesting to face a priestess in battle? Or better still, to have her assault me in my bed, especially if she is as beautiful as they say?” The young lord wiggled in his seat as a lecherous smile settled on his face.

“Itachi obviously ran to the wrong place for refuge.”

Kemuri only laughed. Sesshomaru left. He was confident that Kemuri had not any assassins after Kikyo without even having to ask. He was not sure if Kemuri even had assassins in his staff. The young demon tended to like to do his own dirty work, out in the open even when it was possible. The concept having ninja seemed lost on him. Sesshomaru could somewhat understand the sentiment.

Sesshomaru exited the castle and sniffed out Itachi, who was wandering in the woods just as the young lord said he was. Sesshomaru truly hated to play Kemuri’s game, but Itachi was his quarry and he would be hunted. Sesshomaru just would save the painful things for later, so Kemuri could not get his full entertainment from it.

The weasel demon gasped before he even caught sight of the golden-eyed lord. He smelled Sesshomaru before anything. The trees were too thin and the shrubs were too low to provide Itachi with any kind of cover for when the dog demon came closer. He tried to run as fast as he could, but he knew that he would not escape vengeful platinum-haired demon.

“Itachi,” the dog demon snarled. He had no idea how truly angry he was until he saw Itachi. His eyes bled over, even though he did not plan to transform. He was close to charging the weasel and just tearing his head off with his bare claws, but he fought that impulse. He wanted the disgusting weasel to suffer.

“Sesshomaru,” Itachi swallowed nervously, tripping over his own feet. He tumbled in the dirt, rolling a few times before a tree stopped him. Groaning, he put a hand to his back and sat up. His eyes went wide as he saw Sesshomaru stalking toward him with a murderous glint in his eyes.

“You wanted my mate to kill me and you were willing to use our daughter to force her hand?” the silver-haired male inquired with a deep growl.

“Please, Sesshomaru,” Itachi implored, hands digging into the mud as he tried to crawl backwards. The tree that stopped his roll was in the way.

“You would dare beg me after terrorizing my child and threatening my wife?” _The gall of this bastard!_ Sesshomaru could not believe it.

Itachi cowered, having never seen Sesshomaru completely lose his composure before. He put his hands out, as if that would stop Sesshomaru. The dog demon drew Toukijin and slowly approached Itachi, scaring the weasel demon even more so than he already was. Sesshomaru enjoyed seeing the shorter man quiver with fear. He liked the smell of terror radiating from the onyx-eyed coward. It was a good start to making the fool experience as much terror and pain as possible.

Itachi actually managed to dodge Sesshomaru’s first attack, out of sheer panic, falling out of the way of an energy blast. This only served to make the taller lord even more vexed and snarled, showing off sharp fangs. Itachi managed to climb to his feet and make a run for it. Sesshomaru continued to go after the frightened noble, who continued to dodge the energy attacks coming from Toukijin. Sesshomaru gave chase and took one last slash at Itachi, surprising the weasel because it was a regular swipe.

“What the…?” Itachi began to gag. He put his hand to his throat as blood oozed out his neck. Sesshomaru had cut his throat.

“I’m not done with you yet,” Sesshomaru declared.

The weasel demon put his hand on his neck to slow the bleeding and tried his best to run off. Before he even made it two steps, Sesshomaru was blocking his path. He gasped and tumbled backwards, blood oozing through his fingers from his wound. He tried to run off again, but ran into the chest of a certain extremely upset demon. Itachi trembled as he attempted to back away, but he did not make it far. Sesshomaru snarled and put his hand through the shorter male’s chest. Itachi coughed and gagged.

“Please,” the weasel begged one last time.

“No one will ever harm my mate as long as I’m alive,” Sesshomaru informed the injured man, putting his hand deeper into the other lord’s torso.

Itachi was unable to say anything back. Sesshomaru withdrew his hand, pulling out whatever he could from the coward’s chest, and the weasel lord collapsed, gagging as his blood painted the forest floor. Sesshomaru could not wait, like he had wanted. He just needed to end this man, end this whole situation. He needed Kikyo and Rin safe.

The body of the weasel lord began to dissolve because Sesshomaru had used his poisonous touch on the man. He wanted to make a statement he would not be merciful to those that tried anything against his family. He tossed the still dying Itachi near some rocks.

“Die in a ditch like the worthless maggot you are,” Sesshomaru said as he turned away.

Sesshomaru walked away from the body, knowing that once Kemuri discovered the corpse, everyone would know because the boy enjoyed talking about death. The young demon liked to discuss agony and torment. The clay-skinned lord would spread the news far and wide as to why and how Sesshomaru killed Itachi because he liked bad news and the more disgusting the bad news, the better to him. He liked to scare people, too, even if was not of him. He might actually make it sound worse than it was, Sesshomaru considered. _Maybe killing Itachi here will work out for me_.

-8-8-8-8-

When Sesshomaru returned home, it was late at night. He had been gone for a few days, but the castle seemed to be perfect condition. He went to check on Rin first just because something in him wanted to see the little girl. She was out as usual with her little kitten resting at her side. He shook his head. He wished that she had different favorite pet. The cat seriously irked him and it was not because he was a dog demon… or at least that was what he told Kikyo.

Sesshomaru then turned and went to his bedroom. Kikyo was sleeping, as he expected her to be. He sat down next to her and her warm, chocolate eyes flickered open. He figured she would wake up because she probably sensed him even in her sleep. Besides, it was not like she was heavy sleeper. She reached out for him and grabbed him around the waist. She pulled herself over to rest against his legs and he caressed her cheek.

“So, what now?” Kikyo asked.

“What do you mean?” Sesshomaru countered.

“Is noble life always so interesting?”

“Unfortunately.”

“If things are like this just from our marriage, what will happen once we have a child?” she wondered aloud.

He shook his head. “It will continue to be none of their business, but the nobles will try to make it their business for whatever reasons they have. Some will make sense and others won’t.”

“I suppose I’ll have to get used to it then,” she commented with a sigh.

“Unfortunately, but I’ll be here with you all the way,” he replied and leaned down to kiss her. She returned the kiss. He could only wonder what other paranoid people would concoct bizarre stories to trouble him and his family, but he knew something would come up because something always did.

-8-8-8-8-

That’s it for this. I wasn’t too into it. I think I might have to stick to AU. So, see you guys next fic, which will be an AU. I hope you guys enjoyed this one, though. Thanks again for reading.

If you wanna see more of my fanfics, they're all at FFN under [StarvingLunatic](https://www.fanfiction.net/~starvinglunatic). And last, if you wanna see some original stories, you can look at FP under [StarvingLunatic](https://www.fictionpress.com/u/576301/).


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